Principal Grassa’s Pawprints 4/26/20

April 26, 2020

This week we heard from Governor Baker that school buildings will not reopen this school year however our Learn From Home initiative will still continue to take place starting Monday, April 27th through the last day of school. More information regarding the last day of school will be coming soon. We know how hard this information was for students, families and staff to process and we must remember that we are in this together. As a community we can support each other through these challenging times.

Below is a picture of a mystery Curley student who created this beautiful piece of art on our lawn when it snowed on April 18th. We wish you all good health and safety during this time and please know that Team Curley K-8 is here for you at all times.

Shout out to Curley K-8 Families

We would like to thank all the Curley Families for their hard work at home these last few weeks. This has not been an easy transition for you, and we appreciate the support you have shown the staff and your willingness to learn new skills to help your child continue to learn and connect with us all! Thank you!

Our school nurses have created a site for families so we can continue to support during this time. Please go to www.curleyk8.com, click Learn From Home, click Health Resources and then the link for the virtual nursing page.

School Parent Council Virtual Meeting: Wednesday, April 29th

Join the School Parent Council and Principal Grassa this Wednesday morning, April 29th from 8:30–9:15am for a SPC meeting via Zoom.

We will connect as a community, hear from Principal Grassa, report on our fundraising campaign for grocery store gift cards, and generate ideas for community engagement through the end of the Learn From Home school year.

To attend the meeting please follow this link to register in advance. https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJYlc-2sqT8iGNCZLzX4rakwCHqP85ykdjA_ After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

We look forward to connecting with you all on Wednesday and in the weeks and months to come!

District SPED PAC Virtual Meeting: Thursday, April 30th

This month’s Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SPED PAC) monthly general meeting will be held on Thursday, April 30th from 7-8:30pm via Zoom Video: https://bostonpublicschools.zoom.us/j/91415970232

Transition Services &
Special Education & COVID-19 Q&A

Information about this meeting in ten languages can be found here: https://www.bostonpublicschools.org/Page/6119#calendar12866/20200430/event/34386

Presenters:

Melanie R. Jarboe & Alicia Warren, Special Education Attorneys at Kotin, Crabtree & Strong
Marcia Fitzpatrick, BPS Assistant Director of Transition

After presentations, we will have a question and answer session about Transition Services and then special education during COVID-19. Questions can be sent to email@bostonspedpac.org in advance or entered into the chat during the live Zoom session.

Spanish interpretation online will be available. Additional interpretation services are available upon request 7 days in advance by contacting Lisa Connor, Parent Support Coordinator, at lconnor2@bostonpublicschools.org or by calling 617-828-5690. For more information contact SpEd PAC at email@bostonspedpac.org or by voicemail at 617-297-7335.

Curley School Nurses’ Site

Check In: Let Us Know What Support You Need

We hope that all Curley K-8 community members are safe, practicing social distancing, hand washing, and encourage their child to participate in virtual learning.

We recognize that as time goes on the level of support families need can change and we want you to know we are here to help all Boston families. Please know we want to help and support families and all information shared is confidential. If you, or someone you know has needs please reach out for support:

Access to Boston Public Library Resources

Boston Public Library sites are all closed, any materials that are currently checked out have been renewed for several months. Also, digital resources are still available. If students (or caregivers) don’t have library cards, or if their cards are expired, they can sign up for an ecard at www.bpl.org/ecard and still access everything.

Please visit www.bpl.org/kids for additional information. Families can also reach out to Sandra Samuel csamuel@bostonpublicschools.org for support.

Learn From Home

The Curley’s Learn From Home virtual learning website is live. You can link to learning activities for students and contact information for teachers by visiting www.curleyk8.com. (Look for Red Learn From Home link at the very top of each page.) We want students to have access to internet, technology, and other resources necessary to support their learning. Please reach out to your child’s teacher if you need any support with this or visit https://www.bostonpublicschools.org/laptop for more information.

Here are some helpful tips to support families at home.

On the homepage of our website www.curleyk8.com you can link to grade level work for all students. This link on the site was created to give families one spot to access information for multiple grade levels and resources.
Your student’s learning materials can also be accessed at www.bostonpublicschools.org/backpack using their BPS Google account.
Your child’s teachers are the best resource for support with technology and academics. Their emails are also linked on this site.

Internet and Computer Access

In the coming days, we will be releasing details for BPS families to receive no-cost options for Internet and computers as needed.

Many Internet service providers have already offered discounted or no-cost options and we are working with providers to ensure families have access to home Internet.
Chromebooks will also be provided to students in need of a device and BPS has purchased an additional 20,000 Chromebooks to assist with families in need. Each Chromebook will provide access to the learning activities above, as well as new learning resources to assist students.
The new chrome books will be prioritized based on need and to students in grade 3-12. We will use our already established equity measures to make these determinations.
Distribution sites will be set up throughout the City for students to receive a Chromebook. We are also working with our partners to ensure that families can access support services for technical help with their Chromebook or Internet access.

Meal Locations

BPS will continue to provide free breakfast and lunch meals to all Boston students. We are proud that the Curley K-8 is one of those sites in the JP community. BPS will distribute the meals at several dozen locations throughout the City of Boston. A variety of packaged meal options will be available for pick-up Monday – Friday from 8:30am – 11:30am. Visit www.bostonpublicschools.org/coronavirus for the full list. No child will be turned away.

Additionally, the City of Boston in partnership with Project Bread, YMCA of Greater Boston, Boston Centers for Youth and Families, and other community organizations will also be providing free meals to school-aged children at various locations and times across the city. Click here to view all the current meal locations and times. More locations will become available over the coming week.

For as long as our schools are closed, we will continue to assess how best to meet the needs of our students with a close eye on equity and may adjust our plans as needed based on our continued analysis. We will provide you with regular updates along the way to keep you informed about learning opportunities, access to healthy meals, and resources about the virus.

BPS Coronavirus Website

BPS launched a website outlining key questions families may have, prevention tips, and tips for educators. Our goal is to keep you as informed as possible and make sure you have the tools and resources you need in order to both talk with your students, staff, and families and keep your school community safe and healthy. We will be updating the website weekly. https://www.bostonpublicschools.org/coronavirus If parents or community members are asking questions about coronavirus that cannot be answered on the BPS Coronavirus Website, please have them email coronavirus@bostonpublicschools.org and they will receive an answer within 48 hours.

Amazon Smile

Do you shop on Amazon? If so, did you know that you can give back to the Curley K-8 with your shopping? Amazon Smile is an easy way to give money to the Curley via the Student Parent Council (SPC) (no fees, no extra charges- nada). If you shop amazon.com just change to amazonsmile.com choose the charity Friends of the Curley K8 School and that is it. Amazon will donate a percentage of your purchase to the Curley. The funds raised by the SPC can be used to support many of the initiatives and resources we currently use in or classroom or those we wish to deploy in the future. Please note that the SPC is not able to see the items that you purchase on Amazon; they are only able to see the dollar amount donated.

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.

Shout out to Curley K-8 Families

School Parent Council Virtual Meeting: Wednesday, April 29th

District SPED PAC Virtual Meeting: Thursday, April 30th

Curley School Nurses’ Site

Check In: Let Us Know What Support You Need

Leadership Team

Nursing Team

Guidance Team