Paw Prints – December 20
Family Book Club: The Curley community is starting its first social justice family book club! We will be reading We Want To Do More Than Just Survive by Dr. Betina L. Love. If you would like to join us on Wednesdays at 7-8PM starting January 6, 2021 through March 3, 2021 please register here. We have copies of the book for families who need it as we will be reading week by week and having equity discussions during our meetings.
EBT Card Update: P-EBT has been extended for the whole year! Here are some things you should know.
- Dates of when benefits will be provided have not been determined, but BPS will notify families once benefits have been released. Once benefits are provided students learning remotely will receive $117 each month on their card and students in hybrid learning will receive $58 per month.
- Instructions for BPS families:
- If you do not have a card (lost or never received) – please request one at DTAConnect.com/pebt or call 800-997-2555 (the website is faster)
- If you have your card, please keep it. Your child’s benefits will be updated/loaded automatically.
- Having additional benefits does not replace the meal pick-ups at our supersites. Families can continue to pick up meals.
- If you do not want the benefits, please feel free to contact a local food bank or church to ask what food donations they are willing to accept and purchase with the funds.
December Vacation: There will be no school from December 24, 2020 through January 4, 2021 for the December break. School will resume on January 5, 2021. Happy Holidays!
Meal Distribution Update: As we approach the holiday season, the Food and Nutrition Services Department will be making a slight change in our meal distribution days at all Super Sites. During the week of Christmas and New Years; there will be No Service on Thursdays. Meals will be distributed on Monday and Tuesday only. For more information please contact project Bread’s Food Source Hotline at (800) 645-8333 or the School Food number at 617-635-9144.*The Curley is now a distribution site again!
Meal distribution will be on the dates listed below from 10:00am – 6:00pm
- Christmas week: December 21 & 22
- New Years week: December 28 & 29
Tutoring: Boston Partners in Education offers tutoring services to support BPS students. Families with students in grades 5-12 can receive extra support afterschool and on weekends to help with school and homework. For more information or to request a tutor please access their flyer.
School Councils: Check out our School Site Council (SSC) and School Parent Council (SPC)! We have a wonderful group of new and returning council members who are all excited to meet with Curley families. We will be discussing what matters most, providing the best supports for our students, families and community by caring about each other. Please join us on any of the following times, come to one or come to all! (Registration required)
SSC Every Second Tuesday of the month 5:30-7:00PM
SPC on Wednesdays during alternating times
Curley School Parent Council Fundraiser: The year 2020 has been a challenging year for all of us, and especially for many of our Curley families. The Curley School Parent Council (SPC) is working with Principal Grassa to raise $25,000 by the end of 2020 to support our families. Our goal is to ensure that all Curley students and their families have the resources they need to thrive. You can support by donating online using PayPal.me/CurleyK8 or mail a check payable to Friends of the Curley to 40 Pershing Road JP, MA 02130 Attn: Curley SPC. The money will be raised to buy families Stop & Shop gift cards that they can use towards food. Please consider a tax-deductible donation to Friends of the Curley K-8 in support of this important initiative. If your company has a matching gifts program, our tax ID is 46-3480428.
End of Semester Surveys: On December 1, emails went out to families to complete an end of semester survey to collect feedback. If you need help accessing the survey please contact Manny Hernandez.
Social Dance for Social Change: Camille A. Brown, an Emerson Collective Fellow, and modern dancer/choreographer has created a “Social Dance for Social Change” online school. It will offer three free programs: Every Body Move program, which promotes social change by serving BIPOC youth and communities; an online Social Dance for Social Distance series, offering lectures and courses in movement and dance; and a mentorship program for students and emerging artists. As part of that initiative, the program is offering free online Zoom classes in December on Mondays and Wednesdays. For more information click here.
Staples Gift Cards: BPS partnered with Staples in order to get students $50 gift cards that they could use towards buying school supplies. The deadline has been extended! Families have until December 31, 2020 to use their gift cards. Please reach out to your child’s homeroom teacher if you are yet to receive your student’s gift card. Let’s get shopping! For more information and staples locations please visit BPS+Staples page.
School Preview: It’s that time of the year again when we begin to plan our school preview days. Current Curley families are welcomed to attend. It’s a great way to get to know more about the school if your child is moving to a new grade level. Please reach out to Manny if you have any questions. The next school preview will be on January 20, 2021 9-10am. Click here to join.
Internet Supports: Comcast Internet Essentials –We have free vouchers for families who do not have access to stable internet:
- Households are eligible for this program if they:
- Qualify for programs like the National School Lunch Program, housing assistance, Medicaid, SNAP, SSI, and others.
- Live in an area where Comcast Internet service is available
- Have not had Comcast Internet in the last 90 days
- Households who owe money to Comcast may still qualify if approved by 12/31/20
- Be sure to call the correct phone number (see below). DO NOT call the regular service line.
- English: 1-855-846-8376 or InternetEssentials.com
- Spanish: 1-855-765-6995 or es.InternetEssentials.com
- The language of the application can be changed. There is a link to change the language on the top right side of the application.
- Amnesty for bad debt/past debt forgiveness is in place through 12/31.
- Families should elect to get the self-install kit first. If they ask for a technician to come and install, they will be charged an installation fee. However, if they call after they’ve received the self-install kit, they will send a technician at no charge.
- If you feel as if, you may qualify for a free voucher please reach out to Manny Hernandez for further assistance.
Updated Contact Information: It is imperative that the school has your correct and up to date contact information.
- The BPS Family Guide including media release can be found at https://www.bostonpublicschools.org/familyguide
- The parent & student agreement form including media can be filled out online at BPS Emergency Contact. You can also update your emergency contact information here. Again correct contact information will be essential during this time.
Who should I contact: If you have questions and you are not sure who to contact please use the chart below to support you.
| Classroom related questions | Classroom teachers: (Contact information can be found at www.curleyk8.com) |
| K-2 Support | Dawn Durant ddurant2@bostonpublicschools.org or Cristina Silva csilva4@bostonpublicschools.org |
| Grades 3-5 Support | David Diaz ddiaz@bostonpublicschools.org or Justina Levey jlevey@bostonpublicschools.org |
| Grades 6-8 Support | Adrian Ward-Jackson Awardjackson@bostonpublicschools.org or Sugeily Santos ssantos2@bostonpublicschools.org |
| Health Questions | Keilah Santana ksantana@bostonpublicschools.orgApril Pumphret apumphret@bostonpublicschools.org |
| Curley K-8 School Parent Council & Family Liaison | Manny Hernandez ehernandez@bostonpublicschools.org spc@curleyk8.com |
| Technology Related Questions | BPS Helpline 617-635-8873 – Please have families call the BPS Family helpline Monday – Friday, 9am – 5pm for questions about technology and other resources available to BPS families.Help is available in Arabic, Cape Verdean Creole, Chinese, French, Haitian Creole, Portuguese, Russian, Somali, Spanish, and Vietnamese. |
| Urgent Priority Questions | Principal Katie Grassa kgrassa@bostonpublicschools.org |
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.
English
Arabic
Chinese (Simplified)
Dutch
French
German
Italian
Portuguese
Russian
Somali
Spanish
Sudanese