8/11 Update from Katie Grassa, Principal, Curley K-8

Dear Curley Families,

I hope this letter finds you and your family in good health. Though we don’t yet know the specifics of what reopening will look like, I want to address a request that is repeatedly being made in the event that BPS chooses a hybrid reopening. In the hybrid model, our students would learn remotely for half the school week and in-person for the other half, and would be separated into two groups, A and B, that would occupy the building at alternating times to ensure social distancing.

Over the last few weeks, I have received multiple requests to place students in specific classrooms to accommodate learning “pods” for remote learning. Learning pods are a group of students/families who collaborate to support the childcare and educational needs of their child(ren). I respect and understand why families have created such support for themselves and their children. To honor these requests, however, would privilege some families’ needs over other families and further exacerbate vast inequities within our community and we will not be considering any such requests.  

We are committed to being an antiracist, inclusive school. We recognize that while the pandemic has impacted all students and families, it has had a disparate impact on Black and Latinx students and families who have experienced historical marginalization in our city and nation. This has been compounded by the horrific acts of racial violence and injustice we have witnessed over the last few months, acts that serve as a painful and traumatic reminder of the pervasive presence of systemic racism in our nation. As a learning institution, we MUST be conscious and intentional about disrupting this damaging narrative AND lifting up the voices of our families of Color. Therefore, we will continue to use a lens of equity to guide and inform our decision-making around all facets of reopening, including scheduling, staffing, resource allocation, and family engagement.

Each spring, Curley teachers work hard to place students in classrooms for the next school year. We look to create inclusive classrooms that represent the diversity of our whole school community. This year, if a hybrid model is used, BPS will decide who is in Group A and Group B. These decisions will be made based on transportation and grouping siblings on the same days. We will ensure that families of multiples (twins, triplets) will be in the same homerooms as well. Once BPS sets these groupings, we may need to revisit our class lists and make shifts to ensure equity and access to services and support. I know what a burden this is to families with so much unknown information during this time. Please know that we will notify families of these groups as soon as the logistics are sorted out.

We are focused on providing a high quality, engaging and culturally relevant education for our students, strategically adapted to the learning model we move forward with as a district. We are committed to empowering critical thinkers, problem solvers, innovators and positive change agents, equipped with the knowledge and skills to be a caring voice in our community, city and nation. 

Together with families, students and staff, we will launch the 2020-2021 school year. While there will be challenges along the way, I am confident that together we will have a positive school year where our students experience so much of what we value at the Curley: a strong community of caring that promotes success for all students!

Best,

Katie Grassa

Principal 

Curley K-8 School