Worried that you’ll miss an event at school? Remember to bookmark the Curley online calendar!

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 20
5:30 – 7pm:  School Site Council Meeting
Upper School Library
All parents are welcome to attend SSC meetings, where the principal, faculty, and parents work on school-wide planning and policy issues.

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 21
8:45-9:45am:  Holiday Breakfast with the Principal & Workshop on Communication in the Family/School
Family Center (near main lobby of the Upper School)
Please bring a dish to share and join us for a holiday breakfast with Principal Slater, followed by a workshop entitled “Workshop on Communication in the Family/School: Talking, Listening, and Problem Solving” and will be conducted in in two separate groups (English/Spanish).  For more information, please call Betty Alvarado, Parent Coordinator or Maria Monteiro-Roby, FCOC at 617-635-8176.

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 22
7:30 – 10:30pm:  MFABS
Bella Luna/Milky Way – The Brewery (JP)
Calling all Curley (and non-Curley!) moms:  December MFABS (Mamas, Friendship and Beverages for Survival) is this Thursday, December 22.  Join us at Bella Luna/Milky Way for a casual evening of beverages and mama-ship. Arrive whenever you can (it’s a “soft” start-time), and leave whenever you need to.  MFABS is a chance for mamas in the Curley K-8 community — and beyond — to get together for a drink and a chat. It’s just for fun, and there’s no agenda other than to relax, vent, share, and otherwise take a load off our far-too-busy minds and souls. PLEASE SHARE THIS INVITE with any moms who might enjoy a night out! For more information, contact Lindsey Weeramuni.

P.S.  We continue to encourage the Curley dads to get their own similar gig up and running . . .

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 23 – TUESDAY, JANUARY 3
No School (Winter Recess)

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 4
Students Return to School

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 4
6-8pm:  Parents’ Council Meeting – Teacher Presentation/Q&A on Testing & Data
Upper School Library
Please join us for an interactive discussion with Curley teacher Alissa Ferro, who will talk with us about in-school ANet testing and will describe how teachers are using testing data to shape our kids’ educational experience.  All parents and guardians are welcome!  We will meet in the Upper School Library. Please enter the school through the Centre St. doors, go through the lobby, slightly to your right for the stairs, then go directly up the stairs to the library. Dinner, childcare, and Spanish interpretation will be provided.

FRIDAY, JANUARY 6
9:30-11am:  School Preview Tour – Volunteers Needed!
Lower School Entrance
At the December preview tour, over 70 prospective parents came to check out the Curley.   Needless to say, our parent volunteers were nearly overwhelmed with trying to deliver effective, informative tours to such a huge group of visitors.  PLEASE VOLUNTEER to assist with our final school Preview Tour of the year – we need you!

Curley parents will welcome prospective parents as they tour our buildings, meet our principal and leadership team, and have an opportunity for Q&A with Curley families and staff.  This is a fun and easy way to help out, and we’ll give you lots of guidance on what to do if you’ve never led a tour before.  New parents are welcome to come and share your experience at the Curley so far – we will provide a tour agenda ahead of time and will match you with a veteran parent.  Please sign up online to participate – make sure you include your email address.  Please contact email Carrie Fletcher or Punam Sharma if you have questions.

Curley K-8 parents
Please join us for a holiday celebration at the Principal’s Breakfast
on Wednesday, December 21
8:45 am – 10:30 am
Upper School Library
Please bring your favorite dish to share.

To be followed by a special presentation from Families First Parenting Programs:
Enhancing Communication between Families and the School
The workshop will be held in English and Spanish.

For more information, please call Betty Alvarado, Parent Coordinator
or Maria Monteiro-Roby, FCOC at 617-635-8176.

……………………………………………………

Padres de la Escuela Curley K-8
Los invitamos a nuestro Desayuno con el Principal y Celebración de las Fiestas del mes de Diciembre

Tendremos una presentación sobre la
Importancia de la Comunicación entre las Familias y la Escuela

Este taller se presentará en Inglés y en Español

El Miercoles, 21 de diciembre, 2011
8:45-10:30 a.m.
En la Biblioteca de la Escuela Intermedia

Esperamos verlos
Por favor de traer un plato con su comida preferida

Para mas informacion, por favor de llamar a Betty Alvarado o
a Maria Monteiro-Roby al 617-635-8176

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 9 – TONIGHT
6:30-8pm Nutcracker Family & Community Performance
Auditorium
Please attend a special evening performance for family and friends and see our 2nd, 3rd-SEI, 4th, and 5th grade students from Ms. Taylor Knight’s dance class perform a fabulous rendition of The Nutcracker!  All Curley community members are welcome and encouraged to attend, even if you don’t have a child in the show!  If your child is in the performance, please make sure you  have signed and returned the permission slip.

MONDAY, DECEMBER 12
6:30-8:30pm Curley Shopping Night at Boing! & KitchenWitch
Boing! (667 Centre Street) and KitchenWitch (671 Centre Street)
JP retailers Boing! Toy Store and KitchenWitch will donate 15% of all proceeds for items sold between 630 & 830pm to the Curley.  Drinks and snacks will be available at Boing!  Come do some holiday shopping and support the Curley at the same time!

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 16
3-11pm GIFT WRAPPING AT BARNES & NOBLE
Barnes & Noble at the Prudential Mall
Please sign up for a shift at this fun fundraiser!  Curley community members will be offering gift wrapping for customers in the Pru Mall as they complete their holiday shopping.  This is a fun and festive way to hang out with Curley friends while supporting our school.

A reminder that this Wednesday, December 7, will be our third Parents’ Council Meeting of the year. It’ll be held from 6pm-8pm in the Upper School Library.

New Curley Parents Encouraged!

Whether you’re new to the Curley or are a veteran parent who’d like to be more informed or involved, we hope that you’ll join us for monthly parents’ council meeting – all parents and guardians are welcome.

We will meet in the Upper School Library. Please enter the school through the Centre St. doors, go through the lobby, slightly to your right for the stairs, then go directly up the stairs to the library.

Agenda
Update from the School Site Council
Library Update
Fundraising Updates & Coming Events
–Recap from the Midway fundraising event
–Discussion of Canary Square Silent Auction (March)
–Barnes and Noble Gift Wrapping event on 12/16
–Friendraiser appeal
From the Principal
–Parent Visitor Sign-In
–Kindergarten Door issues
–Streetside Parking on Pershing Road
School Preview Tours
–Updates on attendance, etc.
–Discussion of January Tour
Upcoming Events
–12/9 at 6:30pm:  Nutcracker
–1/4/12 SPC meeting – Guest Speaker Alissa Farro
–1/16/12 MOS Night – possible date change to March
Discussion of Possible Fall Cleanup

Dinner, childcare, and Spanish interpretation will be provided. If you can’t attend this meeting but are interested in figuring out how to participate at the Curley, please email our Parents’ Council Co-Chairs, Carrie Fletcher and Punam Sharma, to let them know.

A summary of upcoming Curley events is below.  Remember to bookmark (and regularly check!) the Curley online calendar, which is constantly being updated.   If you know about a school, classroom, BPS, or other event that you think should be on the calendar, please email Carrie Fletcher or  Heshan Weeramuni with the details.

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 2
9:30-11am:  School Preview TourVolunteers Needed!
Lower School Entrance
WE STILL NEED VOLUNTEERS for our second school Preview Tour!  Help us welcome prospective parents as they tour our buildings, meet the principal and leadership team, and have an opportunity for Q&A with Curley parents.  This is a fun and easy way to help out, and we’ll give you lots of guidance on what to do if you’ve never led a tour before.  New parents are welcome to come and share your experience at the Curley so far – we will provide a tour agenda ahead of time and will match you with a veteran parent.  Please sign up online to participate – make sure you include your email address.  Please contact email Carrie Fletcher or Punam Sharma if you have questions.

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 6
8:40-9:40am – 2nd grade & 3rd-SEI Nutcracker Dress Rehearsals
Please review Ms. Taylor Knight’s Nutcracker Information Sheet to be sure that your child has the appropriate attire for the dress rehearsal.  Also, parent volunteers are still needed for the Nutcracker – see how you can help!

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 7
8:40-9:40am – 4th grade Nutcracker Dress Rehearsal
12:20-1:20pm – 5th grade Nutcracker Dress Rehearsal
Please review Ms. Taylor Knight’s Nutcracker Information Sheet to be sure that your child has the appropriate attire for the dress rehearsal.  Also, parent volunteers are still needed for the Nutcracker – see how you can help!

6-8pm Parents’ Council Meeting – New Curley Parents Encouraged!
Upper School Library
Please join us for our monthly parents’ council meeting – all parents and guardians are welcome. We will meet in the Upper School Library. Please enter the school through the Centre St. doors, go through the lobby, slightly to your right for the stairs, then go directly up the stairs to the library. Dinner, childcare, and Spanish interpretation will be provided.

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 9
9-10:30am Nutcracker In-School Performance
Auditorium
Our 2nd, 3rd-SEI, 4th, and 5th grade dance students will perform The Nutcracker in front of their fellow students.

6:30-8pm Nutcracker Family & Community Performance
Auditorium
Please attend a special evening performance for family and friends and see our 2nd, 3rd-SEI, 4th, and 5th grade students from Ms. Taylor Knight’s dance class perform a fabulous rendition of The Nutcracker!  All Curley community members are welcome and encouraged to attend, even if you don’t have a child in the show!  If your child is in the performance, please make sure you  have signed and returned the permission slip.

MONDAY, DECEMBER 12
6:30-8:30pm Curley Shopping Night at Boing! & KitchenWitch
Boing! (667 Centre Street) and KitchenWitch (671 Centre Street)
JP retailers Boing! Toy Store and KitchenWitch will donate 15% of all proceeds for items sold between 630 & 830pm to the Curley.  Drinks and snacks will be available at Boing!  Come do some holiday shopping and support the Curley at the same time!

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 15
7-9pm SPED PAC General Meeting
Boston English 2nd floor Cafeteria
Parents/Guardians of Children with Special Needs:   there are more than10,000 children on IEPs in the Boston Public School System (BPS). We need to work together to have a collective voice on special education issues.  Please come to the next SPED PAC meeting and contribute to our dialogue.

Get some holiday shopping done and support art and music programs at the Curley!

Boing! JP’s Toy Shop (667 Centre Street) and Kitchenwitch (671 Centre Street) are hosting a shopping night on Monday, December 12 between 6:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. Both stores are donating 15% of sales made during that time to the Curley School Parent Council (SPC) which supports the music, art and science programs at the school.

Light refreshments and snacks will be served at Boing! (please note, no food or drink will be allowed in Kitchenwitch).

All are welcome to come shop and support the school.

Ms. Taylor Knight’s dance students in grades 2, 3-SEI, 4, and 5 will be performing The Nutcracker on Friday, December 9.  The in-school performance will be at 9:00 a.m. and an evening performance for families and Curley community members will be at 6:30 p.m.

Performance Info & Permission Slip: If your child is in this performance, please click here to review important information about what your child should wear for his/her role.  You can also print the permission slip that your child needs to return to school in order to participate in the evening performance.

Parent Volunteers Needed: Ms. Taylor Knight needs parent volunteers to help with several aspects of this performance – please click here to see how you can help!

Consult the library visits schedule here that our parent Sara Mallach has set up!

Since the beginning of the year, Sara has run the library with elbow grease, a host of other parent volunteers, and others including our former librarian. Volunteers are always needed however, especially on Wednesdays and Thursdays. They help keep the library running smoothly by re-shelving books and assisting with class visits. Please email Sara if you want to help out.

The Curley Art and Music Benefit at the Midway earlier in November was a success!  Thank you to everyone who came out — teachers, parents, community members — and to all of the Curley family affiliated talented bands who played!

We are excited to say that we raised $1,425 and had a great time listening to a wide variety of music while socializing at the Midway.

Thank you so much to The Midway Cafe for hosting the event and to Miss Laura’s (South Street), Tres Gatos (Centre Street) and the Cardona Family for donating the raffle prizes.

We loved that people donated some great records and CDs to sell and we were psyched to introduce the new Curley stickers! Thank you Burritos Pizzeria for all the pizza! A special thanks to Jessica Curran, Mark Mariano, Molly Mariano, Tom Stenquist, and Joseph Wardwell for coordinating the event.

Thanks also to Lars Vegas, Chris Warren, Looker, Taj, Seamstress, Bounce-Opoulous, and Aurelilo Ramos. We are also grateful to Dan Burke, Kathy Choi, Mary Beth Cahill, Genevieve Day, Danielle & Josh Diers, Elizabeth Laneri, Dominic Mariano, Nora Donnelly, Jessica Ormsby, Mick Rehrig, Jennifer Willsea and to the Curley K-8 School Parent Council for supporting our children as students, artists and our future. THANK YOU!

Tonight from 6:30-8:45pm, Curley K-8 journalism teacher Steve Lawrence will participate in a panel discussion entitled “What’s the Boston Public School System Doing to Achieve Excellence Despite the Budget Cuts?” The panel, comprised of experienced Boston educators, also includes Laura Perille of EdVestors, who is a former Curley parent (now mom to two high schoolers).   The group will discuss a number of innovative projects that are currently underway in BPS schools in Jamaica Plain and Roslindale.

This event will take place at the Farnsworth House (90 South Street in JP – corner of Child Street near the Agassiz School) and is open to the public.   BPS parents are welcome and encouraged to attend to hear the panelists talk about the challenges they face as they strive for excellence in education – and, more importantly, how they’re addressing these challenges.  Topics will include the achievement gap, the drop-out rate, English Language Learners and special needs students, teacher competency and retention, and parent involvement.

The Panelists:
Rosa Berriz – Co-lead Teacher, Boston Teachers Union School
Erik Berg – Board member, Boston Teachers Union, Philbrick Elementary School Teacher
Waleska Landing-Rivera – Principal, J. F. Kennedy School
Steven Lawrence – Middle School Teacher, Curley K-8 School
Anne Whittredge – Adjunct Faculty Member, Simmons College & Collaborator with the Boston Public Schools
Lisa Gonsalves (Facilitator) – Associate Professor, UMass Boston
Laura Perille – Executive Director of EdVestors

Detailed Panelist Profiles
Eric Berg is a second grade teacher at the John D. Philbrick Elementary School in Roslindale where he serves on the Instructional Leadership Team. He has taught elementary school for 19 years, starting at a public school in Brooklyn, New York and including stints in Brazil and Ecuador. He has worked as a Spanish bilingual teacher and in general education. Eric is currently a member on the Executive Board of the Boston Teachers Union, on the Negotiating Team, and the Committee on Political Education. He also chairs the Governing Board of the Boston Teachers Union School, and serves on the board of Common Core, a national organization advocating for a broad and diverse curriculum for all students. A father of two students in the Boston Public Schools, Eric and his family live in Jamaica Plain.

Berta Rosa Berriz is currently the co-lead teacher for the lower school of the Boston Teachers Union School, an innovative teacher-run pilot school in the Forest Hills section of Jamaica Plain. Born in Cuba, she is a national board certified bilingual teacher and has taught in the Boston Public Schools for over thirty years. An adjunct faculty member at Lesley University in the Arts in Learning Department, she is also a published writer, dancer, and storyteller. Her doctoral research work investigated the relationship between the cultural identity of Puerto Rican and Dominican second-generation students and their teachers’ assessment of their academic performance. Berta was named a Massachusetts Teacher Scholar by NEH in 1992 which supported her research on the folktales and storytelling of the Spanish and English speaking Caribbean cultures. She also received the Lucretia Crocker Fellowship (1990) for integrating special need students with advance work students and curriculum using team teaching, thematic education, cooperative learning and integrated cultural arts.

Waleska Landing-Rivera, a native of Puerto Rico, was appointed principal over a year ago of the John F. Kennedy School, a “turn-around school” in the Hyde Square area of Jamaica Plain. In 1990 she came to Boston with a degree in accounting but decided on a career change after volunteering and substitute teaching at the Agassiz School and at the Sarah Greenwood School in Dorchester.  At the Greenwood, Waleska was quickly recruited for a kindergarten teaching position. Receiving a master’s degree in special needs education and with intensive training in Reading Recovery and other specialized reading programs, she broadened her teaching skills beyond the traditional classroom to include working with special needs students, being a resource room specialist, and serving as a Reading Recovery teacher. More recently, prior to her current position at the Kennedy, Waleska worked as a literacy coach, assistant principal and director of instruction at the Greenwood School.

Steven Lawrence has taught full-time in the Boston Public Schools since 2003. Currently he is teaching journalism to 6th-8th grade students at the Curley K-8 School in Jamaica Plain.  The journalism class is characterized by a participative culture in which students chair meetings, take turns as the “Newsroom Manager” and pursue stories that naturally interest them and which they believe may be relevant to their readership.  Near the end of the nine or ten week class session, the students produce a school newspaper called “The Curley Chronicle.” Presently the students are experimenting with “going green” and producing a simple, online version.  Steven earned his Masters Degree in Learning, Teaching and Educational Transformation from the University of Massachusetts at Boston.  The LTET program specializes in organizational change, collaboration and creative thinking in the classroom and on the organizational level.  Future plans include the pursuit of doctoral studies in organizational theory or a related field of study that views school transformation through the lenses of workplace ethics, organizational culture and school government.

Laura Perille is the Executive Director of EdVestors, a Boston-based nonprofit organization that partners with philanthropic donors and education leaders in order to accelerate change in urban schools. It combines strategic private investment, education expertise, and engaged implementation support. Launched In 2002 by a group of philanthropists and business leaders, the organization under Laura’s leadership has directed nearly $12 million dollars in funds for urban school improvement efforts in Boston and Lowell. Prior to joining EdVestors, she led Perille Consulting Group, whose clients included public and private schools and systems, foundations, and a variety of nonprofit organizations serving children and families. Previously, she served as a director of education at Crittenton Hastings House, a policy analyst for Community Catalyst/Families USA, and director of programs for the Greater Boston Food Bank. Laura and her family live in Jamaica Plain and her children attend the Boston Public Schools.

Anne Whittredge has over 35 years of experience as a classroom teacher, arts educator, principal and adjunct faculty member at Simmons College. A longtime educator and administrator in the Boston Public Schools, she went on to spend more than half of her career as a public elementary school principal at the Broadmeadow School in Needham before her retirement in 2008. During her tenure there, Anne initiated programs to strengthen urban-suburban educational partnerships. One program linked students and teachers from Needham and Boston elementary schools for shared science explorations of the Weir River. Currently, as a performance evaluation specialist, Anne coaches principals in the Boston Public School system on teacher supervision and evaluation. A resident of Jamaica Plain for many years, Anne also consults in the areas of school leadership, classroom culture, new teacher support, mentor training, and Response to Intervention (RtI). At Simmons, she continues to teach two classes in the Educational Leadership program.

Kathryn Riley (Facilitator) has worked in the field of English Language Learner (ELL) education for her entire professional career.  She began as a Peace Corps volunteer in Uganda, was a faculty member at Roxbury Community College for 14 years, and also served on the adjunct faculty at UMass-Boston and Salem State College where she taught teachers second language acquisition and methodology. Most recently, Kathy worked for the Mass. Dept. of Elementary and Secondary Education (ESE) as the administrator of the Office of Language Acquisition. A resident of Jamaica Plain for almost 30 years, Kathy is working toward her doctorate on a topic involving non-native English speakers.

Please read the following note from Principal Jeffrey Slater about parking restrictions during drop-off and pick-up on Pershing Road at the Curley K-8.

~~~~~~~~~~

We know that many of you like to bring your children into school, and we’re happy to see you each day!  Please remember, though, that parking on the school-side of Pershing Road is not allowed during drop-off or pick-up.

This space needs to be kept clear for buses, passing traffic, and emergency vehicles. We are seeing an increasing number of parked cars in front of the school, which is interfering with the already-heavy traffic flow. Our local city councilor and police have actually been receiving complaints about traffic backups on Pershing Road due to parents parking and leaving their cars on the school-side of the street while taking their children into the building.

This is a reminder that there is no parking allowed in front of the lower school building during arrival and dismissal, nor is parking permitted in either of the staff parking lots. If you wish to walk your children into the building (or come into the building to pick them up in the afternoon), please park on any of the many side streets in the neighborhood, being mindful of the signage.

We have been notified by Boston Police that they will be reminding folks of these parking restrictions over the next few days and then issuing citations as necessary. Thank you for being supportive of these regulations and for being respectful of neighbors.

– Jeff Slater

~~~~~~~~~~

In addition, a local resident also emailed me to add the following:

“Would it be possible to also ask parents to also be mindful of the residential driveways on Pershing Road and the surrounding streets?

While it seems hard to believe, this year we have already endured three separate incidents of our driveway being entirely blocked or partially obstructed (still can’t get down the driveway) and had to go find the offender or wait for a parent to come out of the school.”

Thanks for your attention!

Get excited about the Wednesday, November 9th Music and Arts Benefit Show at the Midway Cafe, 3469 Washington Street in Jamaica Plain!

Doors open at 6:30 p.m., and the first of many bands plays at 7:00 p.m. They include:
Lars Vegas
Chris Warren (of Viva Viva)
Looker
TAJ
Seamstress
Bounce-Opoulous
Aurelilo Ramos

All bands and organizers have a strong connection to the Curley, most being your very talented fellow parents! Spread the word by reposting the Facebook link below, and help us raise our $30k+ for this school year.

$10 with record/cd donation
Donate records or CDS and get $2 off the ticket price!! (or $12)

* Raffles
* Used Record Sale
* Food
* Prizes

Strict 21+ age limit will be observed.

To buy tickets or donate records or CDs before the event, or if you have any questions, please email mollymariano@gmail.com. Vist the benefit’s Facebook page more updates and comments.

A special thank you to Lucky from Pumpkin Tattoo for making the flier, and to the Midway’s incredible support of this event, as well as for other local fundraisers they support throughout the year.

See you Wednesday November 9th!