Principal Grassa’s Pawprints 3/31/19

March 31, 2019

MCAS Testing

MCAS testing for students in grades 3-8 will begin this week through May. Students in grades 3-8 will take two sessions of ELA and two sessions of math. Students in grades 5 & 8 will also take two sessions of science. The MCAS Calendar will tell you which dates your child will be testing.

It is important that students are present and on time for school on testing days. Also, we want students to get a good night’s sleep and eat a healthy breakfast so they can be focused and ready to do their best. Students should not be nervous about testing; they are all well prepared. Please reach out to your child’s teacher if you have further questions.

Winnie the Pooh Thank You

Thank you to all the families who supported Winnie the Pooh this past week. We appreciate your time, donations and efforts in putting on a fabulous performance. We are so lucky to have you on our team! Thanks!

Student Led Clothing Drive to Benefit Cradles 2 Crayons

8th grader Nakeyla Lopez is participating in a service leadership program called Project 351 and is organizing and leading the drive as part of her service year. Please donate any and all new or gently used clothing! The clothes will benefit children with unstable housing throughout the Great Boston area through the organization Cradles 2 Crayons! Please support by donating and new or gently used clothing of all sizes!

When: Monday, March 25th to Wednesday, April 3rd
Where: Lobbies in the upper and lower school

Changes in Arrival Procedures SY2019-2020

Our safety procedures for arrival will be changing for the 2019-20 school year. Families will no longer be able to escort students to class in the morning. Instead, families will be able to walk their student to the lower or upper school main entrance, and the student will free walk to class or be escorted, depending on grade level.

We are going to pilot this change beginning in June, and want your feedback to ensure it goes smoothly. Please fill out the google form here to provide feedback.

Additionally, all visitors will now be required to sign in and sign out in the main office when visiting the Curley. Visitors will be issued badges that they must wear during their time in the school building.

School Transportation Survey

MassDOT and the Curley Health and Wellness Committee will be conducting a transportation survey Tuesday March 26 through Friday April 5 to better understand how students are arriving at and leaving school as part of the Safe Routes to School program. All families are encouraged to participate, and the survey is available in multiple languages. Students in K-6 will receive paper copies of the survey. If we achieve 50% participation, we will receive $250 from MassDOT! Visit the MassDOT website starting on Tuesday, and look for results in an upcoming Paw Prints.

Principal’s Breakfast: Friday, April 5th

Please join us for the Principal’s Breakfast on Friday, April 5th from 8:45am-9:45am in the CASP Office.

19th Annual Plant Sale: Saturday, May 4th

Spring is in the air and it’s time to plan for the Curley’s Annual Plant + Bake Sale!! Each May we transform the parking lot across from the school into a pop up nursery where the JP community comes to buy top quality annuals, herbs and vegetables.

It is fun and a treasured community event. In addition to the plants, there are activities for the kids, a raffle and a fabulous bake sale.

There will be a sign up for the event but help in advance is greatly appreciated. No plant experience necessary. There are no meetings, only tasks (phone calls, copying, flyer distribution). Even 1 hour helps. It is a fun way to get involved without a big commitment.

We’re also looking for a few people wanting to learn about organizing the event as the time is quickly coming when we will need to pass the torch to caregivers of younger students.

If you can help please email Kristin Jurkoic (5th Grade parent) kjurkoic@yahoo.com or call/text 617.548.1461.

SPC & SSC Meeting Minutes Available

Minutes for the February and March School Parent Council meetings and the January School Site Council meeting (there was no February meeting due to snow) are now available online. This is a great way to stay up-to-date on what’s happening at the Curley when you can’t attend the meetings in person.

Also, save the date for the next SPC meeting: Wednesday, April 24th from 8:45-9:45am in the CASP office.

April Vacation

Just a reminder to families that there will be no school Monday, April 15th – Friday, April 19th. School will resume on Monday, April 22nd.

Support the Curley K8 Auditorium & Get Car Service from Morrison’s Auto-Rite

Morrison’s Auto-Rite (475 Centre Street, Jamaica Plain) is offering car maintenance services for FREE with a small donation to the Curley Auditorium (the total cost of the car services far exceed the donation!!!)

Free comprehensive multi-point inspection (check over your car’s health) including:

Free Oil Change (up to a $39.95 value). NOTE: some cars have additional charges for synthetic oil
Rotate tires
Balance two front tires (while doing rotation)
Free front wiper blades (most cars); no appointment needed for wiper blade install
Second free oil change (up to a $39.95 value)
Upgraded warranty on repair work done by Morrison’s Auto-Rite to two years or 24,000 miles, whichever comes first. (There are a few exceptions for normal wear items, i.e. tires)
Unlimited tire pressure adjusting, no appointment needed
Unlimited fluid level checks, no appointment needed

TOTAL APPROXIMATE VALUE (SAVINGS) $295!

You must present the check in the amount of $95, made out to Friends of the Curley K-8, in person to Morrison’s Autorite to be eligible for these services. No credit cards, please!

Help the Curley Turn Markers Into Energy

The Curley School is participating in the Crayola ColorCycle program. Students and teachers will be collecting used markers that are ready to be discarded. The markers will be sent to a facility where they will be converted into clean fuel.

Please help support our efforts by sending your kids in with any used markers you may have around your house—even non-Crayola brands. Drop-off boxes are located in the Upper and Lower School Offices.

Thank you for participating! Together, we can keep tons of plastic out of landfills each year. Learn more at: www.crayola.com/colorcycle.

Arrival/Dismissal Parking

We are asking families to pay attention to the parking signs at arrival/dismissal and make sure that you are not blocking driveways when you come to school. The Boston Police will ticket if you are found in violation of this on the surrounding streets

Social Media

For up to date information about the Curley K-8 School please sign up for email alerts by joining the Mailing List. You can also follow Principal Grassa on Twitter @principalgrassa and be sure to always use the hashtag #curleycares when sharing/posting/tweeting information about our school.