1/28/16 Daily Bulletin

Shout Out

Shout out to our whole PACE Team (teachers, paras, ABA, strand specialist, COSESS, OT, PT, SLP etc...) for winning the Community Partnership Award from the Federation of Children with Special Needs. They were nominated for their advocacy for students, support of inclusive practices and daily hard work to assure that our students with Autism are having academic success. Congrats to you all!

ACCESS

Thank you to all testers as we are underway with the final portion of the ACCESS test. Grades 4-5 should begin the speaking portion tomorrow. One person will be charge of the box for each grade. 

Grade 1 Kidd

Grade 2 Higginbottom

Grade 3 Petmezis

Grade 4 Wright

Grade 5 Quatrale

Grade 6 Beaudrault

Grade 7 Peters

Grade 8 Caravahlo

In addition we still have students that need to be made up. Mr. Caravahlo will test those students in Grade 8 Luisa Herrera-writing, Bryanna Bourdoy & Clarissa Velazquez (whole test) In Grades 4-5 Charles will be testing writing: Karen Deller, Wilson Mercado, Jenacys Soto, Hermon Siyum, Xioliz Pimentel & Leander Lara (Listening) Arroyo will do make up for Arjeni Arias, Jonathan Correa, and Ruth Rosa, Jordalini Soto (whole test).  Attached you will find the list of students whose homeroom they are in and who will be testing them. Please let me know of any questions or mistakes you may find ASAP. All testing needs to be completed by Wednesday February 3rd. Review the speaking guidelines and where accessors should stop a test. Thank you again. 

Middle School Dance

Valentine's Dance for Curley students in grades 6-8 on Friday, February 12, 2016 from 1:05 to 2:10 pm in the gym. Cost: $3.00.  Homeroom teachers will get wristbands on Wednesday, February 10.  Each team must send at least one chaperone per 30 students. Chaperones will supervise the students in the gym. The proceeds of the sale of wristbands will be used to pay for the buses for the end of the school year trip to Canobie Lake. Each team will keep the money. Each team will determine which students will attend the event. Feel free to contact Maria Amy-Moreno for questions and/or suggestions.

Literacy Conference

The annual national conference of the International Literacy Association (formerly the International Reading Association) is being held July 9-11, 2016, in Boston.  The ILA provides educators an incredible opportunity to learn about the latest best practices in literacy instruction.  It’s been over 10 years since the conference has been on the east coast! Please contact Eileen Cronin immediately, if you’re interested in joining the conference this summer.  See the following link for more details.

http://www.literacyworldwide.org/conference?utm_source=TW-01262016&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=ThisWeek&utm_content=Story-3

Investigations 3 ©2017 is here!

Investigations 3 is the K-5 inquiry-based approach to teaching and learning mathematics. It’s a “thinking” curriculum focused on mathematical problem-solving, learner-centered activities, and student inquiry.  Join our first webinar to hear more about the new program, see new components, and sign up for samples.  Thursday, January 28, 2016 | 4:00 PM EST REGISTER NOW Contact Laurie Ciardi if you have any questions.

Bulletin Boards

Today I did a walk through with facilities about the bulletin boards needing to be hung. On Thursday morning someone will be here to hang the remaining bulletin boards. Please be mindful of this and warn students if you see or hear them near your class. All bulletin boards must be updated across the school by Friday, February 5th and must have this attached document displayed describing what is posted. We are giving a one week extension to accommodate time for the new boards to be installed. Thank you for all your patience around this matter.

Curley Shares Awards

Please use the following form to submit student names for the February 2016 Curley Cares student awards. Awards will be presented during the next Curley Shares assemblies on Thursday, February 4, 2016. https://docs.google.com/a/bostonpublicschools.org/forms/d/1OkmP4Wadmb4xhuq4oPziX2iSLtBsNp8zKhuLZVv2VOs/viewform?usp=send_form
Submissions are due Monday, February 1, 2016 by 4:00pm

PD 

Thursday from 3pm-5pm the will be Literacy Collaborative Cohort 1 PD. Cailtlyn Gable will share further details.

Term 2 Grading Window for 6-12

The term 2 grading window for students in grades 6-12 will open from January 21st to February 4th. Reminder: After entering or editing term grades in the scores tab, teachers must click Post Grades to write the grades to the report cards. Grades will be saved as you enter them but they will not appear on the report cards until you click Post Grades.

SPED Progress Reports

Middle School Special Education Progress Reports (Grades 6-8) are due on by the end of day on Friday, January 29th.  Please inform Jessica or Joyce if you are not able to complete them.  It is mandatory that all SPED Progress Reports are completed in SEIMS.

Second Semester Electives

On Monday students will receive choice forms for elective classes in grades 6-8. Below are the choices for each grade level. 

Grade 6:  Advanced Basketball, Costume & Set Design, Crossfit, Dance, Debate,

Grade 7:  Advanced Basketball, CrossFit, Dance, Debate, Mask & Puppet Making

Grade 8:  Advanced Basketball, CrossFit, Dance, Debate, Mask & Puppet Making

ELA Winter Benchmark – Grades 3-8

Reminder – Grades 3-8: The results of the ELA winter benchmark assessment (DAZE or MAZE) should be entered into the WIN Data Spreadsheet by February 1st, the last day of the winter benchmark period. You need only enter the number of correct and incorrect answers.  The “Adjusted Student Score” will automatically be calculated. (Thanks, Ms. Peters!).  The Win Data spreadsheet can be accessed using the following link:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/14zwmqUB7DOb29dreTXoOU-5C2kxbdQqQnQASyzxrzDw/edit#gid=1201292957 Please contact Eileen Cronin if you have any questions or need support with this assessment task.

Parent Conferences

Several families have reached out to ask when parent conferences will be held since they heard that other families were already having conferences with certain grade levels. Please remember that we should work hard to assure that all families can attend a conference with their child’s teachers. Also the remaining 2 hour open house has been converted into flex hours (used only outside of the school day) to accommodate families. Please communicate with your families about your conference plan ASAP. THIS MUST BE COMPLETED BY JANUARY 31,  2016.

BAS Testing K-2

The winter benchmark window is now open through February 26th.  Teachers in K2-2 should administer the BAS for students who are reading below the current grade level instructional expectations.  Instructional level expectations for the middle of the year are as follows: Kindergarten - C, Grade 1 - G, Grade 2 - L.  It is expected that teachers will change the data board at the end of this window to assure it reflects the most up to date data.

Book Swap

The Winter Book Swap has been rescheduled to Friday, January 29^th! Students in Grades K2-5 will be able to choose a “new to you” book from the donated collection  during their lunch period. WE NEED MORE BOOKS! Look for the blue donation boxes in the Upper and Lower school lobbies.  The deadline for donating books for the book swap is Thursday, January 28^th. Please contact Caitlyn Gable (Lower School) or Eileen Cronin (Upper School) with any questions.

1/27/16 Daily Bulletin

Shout Out

Shout out to Corey Edmiston, ABA Specialist, for going above and beyond to provide for his students! He believes in his students and works hard each day to assure they can achieve. Thank you for all you do each day for the students at the Curley K-8 School!

Bulletin Boards

Today I did a walk through with facilities about the bulletin boards needing to be hung. On Thursday morning someone will be here to hang the remaining bulletin boards. Please be mindful of this and warn students if you see or hear them near your class. All bulletin boards must be updated across the school by Friday, February 5th and must have this attached document displayed describing what is posted. We are giving a one week extension to accommodate time for the new boards to be installed. Thank you for all your patience around this matter.

Curley Shares Awards

Please use the following form to submit student names for the February 2016 Curley Cares student awards. Awards will be presented during the next Curley Shares assemblies on Thursday, February 4, 2016. https://docs.google.com/a/bostonpublicschools.org/forms/d/1OkmP4Wadmb4xhuq4oPziX2iSLtBsNp8zKhuLZVv2VOs/viewform?usp=send_form Submissions are due Monday, February 1, 2016 by 4:00pm

ACCESS

Grades 4 & 5 will begin testing reading/listening and writing on Monday. Tomorrow begins ACCESS speaking for grades 1-3 & 6-8. Each grade has one box and therefore one person who should come and sign out the tests. Please see these people for your testing materials. Remember that materials are limited so not every grade has an excess of CDs. If you have any questions please contact Waverly Kidd.

Grade 1 Kidd

Grade 2 Higginbottom

Grade 3 Petmezis

Grade 6 Beaudrault

Grade 7 Peters

Grade 8 Carvahlo
Attached you will find the list of students whose homeroom they are in and who will be testing them. Please let me know of any questions or mistakes you may find ASAP. All testing needs to be completed by Wednesday February 3rd. Review the speaking guidelines and where accessors should stop a test. Thank you again. 

School Climate Team 

The School Climate Team will meet on Wednesday from 3:00pm-4:15pm in room 212. All are welcome to attend.

PD 

Thursday from 3pm-5pm the will be Literacy Collaborative Cohort 1 PD. Cailtlyn Gable will share further details.

Staff Holiday Party

Save the date! We will celebrate the new year together at Bella Luna on Friday, January 29th from 3:30-6:30.  Please be sure to RSVP to Cara Hins (cparchesco@bostonpublicschools.org by WEDNESDAY!!!!!

Term 2 Grading Window for 6-12

The term 2 grading window for students in grades 6-12 will open from January 21st to February 4th. Reminder: After entering or editing term grades in the scores tab, teachers must click Post Grades to write the grades to the report cards. Grades will be saved as you enter them but they will not appear on the report cards until you click Post Grades.

SPED Progress Reports

Middle School Special Education Progress Reports (Grades 6-8) are due on by the end of day on Friday, January 29th.  Please inform Jessica or Joyce if you are not able to complete them.  It is mandatory that all SPED Progress Reports are completed in SEIMS.

Second Semester Electives

On Monday students will receive choice forms for elective classes in grades 6-8. Below are the choices for each grade level. 

Grade 6:  Advanced Basketball, Costume & Set Design, Crossfit, Dance, Debate,

Grade 7:  Advanced Basketball, CrossFit, Dance, Debate, Mask & Puppet Making

Grade 8:  Advanced Basketball, CrossFit, Dance, Debate, Mask & Puppet Making

ELA Winter Benchmark – Grades 3-8

Reminder – Grades 3-8: The results of the ELA winter benchmark assessment (DAZE or MAZE) should be entered into the WIN Data Spreadsheet by February 1st, the last day of the winter benchmark period. You need only enter the number of correct and incorrect answers.  The “Adjusted Student Score” will automatically be calculated. (Thanks, Ms. Peters!).  The Win Data spreadsheet can be accessed using the following link:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/14zwmqUB7DOb29dreTXoOU-5C2kxbdQqQnQASyzxrzDw/edit#gid=1201292957 Please contact Eileen Cronin if you have any questions or need support with this assessment task.

Parent Conferences

Several families have reached out to ask when parent conferences will be held since they heard that other families were already having conferences with certain grade levels. Please remember that we should work hard to assure that all families can attend a conference with their child’s teachers. Also the remaining 2 hour open house has been converted into flex hours (used only outside of the school day) to accommodate families. Please communicate with your families about your conference plan ASAP. THIS MUST BE COMPLETED BY JANUARY 31,  2016.

BAS Testing K-2

The winter benchmark window is now open through February 26th.  Teachers in K2-2 should administer the BAS for students who are reading below the current grade level instructional expectations.  Instructional level expectations for the middle of the year are as follows: Kindergarten - C, Grade 1 - G, Grade 2 - L.  It is expected that teachers will change the data board at the end of this window to assure it reflects the most up to date data.

Book Swap

The Winter Book Swap has been rescheduled to Friday, January 29^th! Students in Grades K2-5 will be able to choose a “new to you” book from the donated collection  during their lunch period. WE NEED MORE BOOKS! Look for the blue donation boxes in the Upper and Lower school lobbies.  The deadline for donating books for the book swap is Thursday, January 28^th. Please contact Caitlyn Gable (Lower School) or Eileen Cronin (Upper School) with any questions.

1/26/16 Daily Bulletin

Shout Out

Shout out to David Diaz for his regular support of staff and families but particularly today when there were several situations we needed his support with. Thanks to David, each ended with a positive outcome.

Curley Shares Awards

Please use the following form to submit student names for the February 2016 Curley Cares student awards. Awards will be presented during the next Curley Shares assemblies on Thursday, February 4, 2016. https://docs.google.com/a/bostonpublicschools.org/forms/d/1OkmP4Wadmb4xhuq4oPziX2iSLtBsNp8zKhuLZVv2VOs/viewform?usp=send_form Submissions are due Monday, February 1, 2016 by 4:00pm

ACCESS

Grades 4 & 5 will begin testing reading/listening and writing on Monday. Tomorrow begins ACCESS speaking for grades 1-3 & 6-8. Each grade has one box and therefore one person who should come and sign out the tests. Please see these people for your testing materials. Remember that materials are limited so not every grade has an excess of CDs. If you have any questions please contact Waverly Kidd.

Grade 1 Kidd

Grade 2 Higginbottom

Grade 3 Petmezis

Grade 6 Beaudrault

Grade 7 Peters

Grade 8 Carvahlo
Attached you will find the list of students whose homeroom they are in and who will be testing them. Please let me know of any questions or mistakes you may find ASAP. All testing needs to be completed by Wednesday February 3rd. Review the speaking guidelines and where accessors should stop a test. Thank you again. 

School Climate Team 

The School Climate Team will meet on Wednesday from 3:00pm-4:15pm in room 212. All are welcome to attend.

PD 

Thursday from 3pm-5pm the will be Literacy Collaborative Cohort 1 PD. Cailtlyn Gable will share further details.

Staff Holiday Party

Save the date! We will celebrate the new year together at Bella Luna on Friday, January 29th from 3:30-6:30.  Please be sure to RSVP to Cara Hins (cparchesco@bostonpublicschools.org by WEDNESDAY!!!!!

Term 2 Grading Window for 6-12

The term 2 grading window for students in grades 6-12 will open from January 21st to February 4th. Reminder: After entering or editing term grades in the scores tab, teachers must click Post Grades to write the grades to the report cards. Grades will be saved as you enter them but they will not appear on the report cards until you click Post Grades. 

Second Semester Electives

On Monday students will receive choice forms for elective classes in grades 6-8. Below are the choices for each grade level. 

Grade 6:  Advanced Basketball, Costume & Set Design, Crossfit, Dance, Debate,

Grade 7:  Advanced Basketball, CrossFit, Dance, Debate, Mask & Puppet Making

Grade 8:  Advanced Basketball, CrossFit, Dance, Debate, Mask & Puppet Making

ELA Winter Benchmark – Grades 3-8

Reminder – Grades 3-8: The results of the ELA winter benchmark assessment (DAZE or MAZE) should be entered into the WIN Data Spreadsheet by February 1st, the last day of the winter benchmark period. You need only enter the number of correct and incorrect answers.  The “Adjusted Student Score” will automatically be calculated. (Thanks, Ms. Peters!).  The Win Data spreadsheet can be accessed using the following link:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/14zwmqUB7DOb29dreTXoOU-5C2kxbdQqQnQASyzxrzDw/edit#gid=1201292957 Please contact Eileen Cronin if you have any questions or need support with this assessment task.

Parent Conferences

Several families have reached out to ask when parent conferences will be held since they heard that other families were already having conferences with certain grade levels. Please remember that we should work hard to assure that all families can attend a conference with their child’s teachers. Also the remaining 2 hour open house has been converted into flex hours (used only outside of the school day) to accommodate families. Please communicate with your families about your conference plan ASAP. THIS MUST BE COMPLETED BY JANUARY 31,  2016.

BAS Testing K-2

The winter benchmark window is now open through February 10th.  Teachers in K2-2 should administer the BAS for students who are reading below the current grade level instructional expectations.  Instructional level expectations for the middle of the year are as follows: Kindergarten - C, Grade 1 - G, Grade 2 - L.  It is expected that teachers will change the data board at the end of this window to assure it reflects the most up to date data.

Book Swap

The Winter Book Swap has been rescheduled to Friday, January 29^th! Students in Grades K2-5 will be able to choose a “new to you” book from the donated collection  during their lunch period. WE NEED MORE BOOKS! Look for the blue donation boxes in the Upper and Lower school lobbies.  The deadline for donating books for the book swap is Thursday, January 28^th. Please contact Caitlyn Gable (Lower School) or Eileen Cronin (Upper School) with any questions.

1/25/16 Daily Bulletin

Shout Out

Shout out to Charles Tewksbury for showing his football spirit on Friday with the students. Charles let a student paint black lines on his face like a pro football player. Thank you for engaging with students and showing them that adults like to have fun too our only regret is that we did not snap a photo of you!

Shout out to the ELT leadership team: Waverly Kidd, Laurie Ciardi, Olivia Peters, Lindsey Wright and Jessica Burque. They have put an incredible amount of time and work into this planning process. We apologize that we won't be able to see this work through this year but I know we will create something better for next year because we went through this process.

ELT

We will no longer be adding 40 minutes to our school day next year. This means that our school hours will remain the same as they are this year. I want to thank you all for your time and ideas in this process. I think we have learned a lot about our school and how we can better use our resources moving forward. I do believe that this extended time will be part of the contract negotiations and that it will impact us later down the road. We will save our ideas and work products for that time. We will also continue to think about next years schedule through a different lens.

ACCESS

Thank you to everyone who has been so willing to help out with make-ups. We will continue make-ups this week for those students that have not yet been tested. Carvalho will be doing make-ups in Grade 8, and Pike will be doing make-ups in grade 3. Grades 4 & 5 will begin testing reading/listening and writing on Monday. Speaking tests will begin in Grades 1-3 and 6-8 on Tuesday.  Attached you will find the list of students whose homeroom they are in and who will be testing them. Please let me know of any questions or mistakes you may find ASAP. All testing needs to be completed by Wednesday February 3rd. Review the speaking guidelines and where accessors should stop a test. Thank you again. 

School Climate Team 

The School Climate Team will meet on Wednesday from 3:00pm-4:15pm in room 212. All are welcome to attend.

PD 

Thursday from 3pm-5pm the will be Literacy Collaborative Cohort 1 PD. Cailtlyn Gable will share further details.

Staff Holiday Party

Save the date! We will celebrate the new year together at Bella Luna on Friday, January 29th from 3:30-6:30.  More details coming soon!

Term 2 Grading Window for 6-12

The term 2 grading window for students in grades 6-12 will open from January 21st to February 4th. Reminder: After entering or editing term grades in the scores tab, teachers must click Post Grades to write the grades to the report cards. Grades will be saved as you enter them but they will not appear on the report cards until you click Post Grades. 

Second Semester Electives

On Monday students will receive choice forms for elective classes in grades 6-8. Below are the choices for each grade level. 

Grade 6:  Advanced Basketball, Costume & Set Design, Crossfit, Dance, Debate,

Grade 7:  Advanced Basketball, CrossFit, Dance, Debate, Mask & Puppet Making

Grade 8:  Advanced Basketball, CrossFit, Dance, Debate, Mask & Puppet Making

ELA Winter Benchmark – Grades 3-8

Reminder – Grades 3-8: The results of the ELA winter benchmark assessment (DAZE or MAZE) should be entered into the WIN Data Spreadsheet by February 1st, the last day of the winter benchmark period. You need only enter the number of correct and incorrect answers.  The “Adjusted Student Score” will automatically be calculated. (Thanks, Ms. Peters!).  The Win Data spreadsheet can be accessed using the following link:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/14zwmqUB7DOb29dreTXoOU-5C2kxbdQqQnQASyzxrzDw/edit#gid=1201292957 Please contact Eileen Cronin if you have any questions or need support with this assessment task.

Parent Conferences

Several families have reached out to ask when parent conferences will be held since they heard that other families were already having conferences with certain grade levels. Please remember that we should work hard to assure that all families can attend a conference with their child’s teachers. Also the remaining 2 hour open house has been converted into flex hours (used only outside of the school day) to accommodate families. Please communicate with your families about your conference plan ASAP. THIS MUST BE COMPLETED BY JANUARY 31,  2016.

BAS Testing K-2

The winter benchmark window is now open through February 10th.  Teachers in K2-2 should administer the BAS for students who are reading below the current grade level instructional expectations.  Instructional level expectations for the middle of the year are as follows: Kindergarten - C, Grade 1 - G, Grade 2 - L.  It is expected that teachers will change the data board at the end of this window to assure it reflects the most up to date data.

Book Swap

The Winter Book Swap has been rescheduled to Friday, January 29^th! Students in Grades K2-5 will be able to choose a “new to you” book from the donated collection  during their lunch period. WE NEED MORE BOOKS! Look for the blue donation boxes in the Upper and Lower school lobbies.  The deadline for donating books for the book swap is Thursday, January 28^th. Please contact Caitlyn Gable (Lower School) or Eileen Cronin (Upper School) with any questions.

Missed P&D

Please see Madeline and Kathy if you have missed P&D time since September. They will be collecting this information so individuals can be appropriately compensated.

1/22/16 Daily Bulletin

Shout Out

Shout out to all staff for working on ACCESS Testing this week. We have very few make ups thanks to our "all hands on deck" team approach. Everyone has been on top of the details which has allowed for a smooth testing week. A special thank you to Waverly for coordinating this effort.

Patriots Day Friday

Help us support our home team as they head to the AFC Championship Game. Patriots Pride Day this Friday.  Wear your favorite Patriot's gear or red, white and blue. A call will go out to families tomorrow as well.

ACCESS Testing

First of all great job to everyone! Of the 235 students we tested only 15 students have to be made-up. Below you will find the list of people testing and the students that they will be testing. Testers materials will be available tomorrow morning in Mr. Diaz's office. 

Pike                         Hillary Franco Grade 2 HIgginbottom Listening and Reading. 

Santos                     Xander Pimentel Grade 3 rivera Writing

Arroyo                     Jordan Julian   Grade 3 Mr. P writing

Peters                      Alky Rosario Grade 8 Prieto Writing

Tewksbury              Writing 6-8 

                                Anthony and Angel 

                                Luisa Herrera 8A, Eyeri Perez 8B, Axante Figueroa 6B

Caravahlo               listening/reading 6-8

                               Mahda Matan 8A, Yonathan Bruno 8A, Armani Martinez 8A, Bryanna Bordoy  8A, John Perez 8B, Ivan Arias 6B, Brianny Sosa, Bryan Rodriguez 7B

Staff Holiday Party

Save the date! We will celebrate the new year together at Bella Luna on Friday, January 29th from 3:30-6:30.  More details coming soon!

Term 2 Grading Window for 6-12

The term 2 grading window for students in grades 6-12 will open from January 21st to February 4th. Reminder: After entering or editing term grades in the scores tab, teachers must click Post Grades to write the grades to the report cards. Grades will be saved as you enter them but they will not appear on the report cards until you click Post Grades. 

Second Semester Electives

On Monday students will receive choice forms for elective classes in grades 6-8. Below are the choices for each grade level. 

Grade 6:  Advanced Basketball, Costume & Set Design, Crossfit, Dance, Debate,

Grade 7:  Advanced Basketball, CrossFit, Dance, Debate, Mask & Puppet Making

Grade 8:  Advanced Basketball, CrossFit, Dance, Debate, Mask & Puppet Making

Summer Programming

Summer at BAA offers three distinct arts summer programs in Dance, Film and STEAM for teens between the ages of 12 - 17. Our dedicated faculty is committed to offering each and every student a personalized experience that fosters creativity while enhancing technical skills. Be challenged and inspired to create with distinguished artists and educators at Boston Arts Academy in Summer 2016!

Website: www.summeratbaa.org Application: http://summeratbaa.org/apply/ Pick your passion to explore within a diverse community: Dance: July 11-22, 2016 Film: July 11-22, 2016 STEAM: July 5-8, 2016

ELT Planning Meeting

Thank you to everyone that attended our ELT meetings over the last two days! We enjoyed hearing new ideas and being asked questions that pushed our thinking. As we gather answers we will be sure to communicate this with you all. We also recognize that new idea will come to people over time and we want people to submit them here. Also if you missed the presentation you can view it here. Thanks!

Field Trips

Just a friendly reminder that when you fill out a field trip request form that you should also check in with the nurses. We appear to be in a lull with field trips this winter but before we know it spring will be here.

ELA Winter Benchmark – Grades 3-8

The ELA winter benchmark assessment for grades 3-8 should be conducted between January 15th and February 1st.  We will use DIBELS/DAZE Benchmark 2 for grades 3-6, and MAZE Benchmark 2 for grades 7 and 8.  All testing materials will be distributed to teachers this week, and assessment results should be entered into the WIN Data spreadsheet on the Google drive in the appropriately titled column, as soon after the completion of testing as possible. Please contact Eileen Cronin for any questions regarding the upcoming benchmarking activities.

Parent Conferences

Several families have reached out to ask when parent conferences will be held since they heard that other families were already having conferences with certain grade levels. Please remember that we should work hard to assure that all families can attend a conference with their child’s teachers. Also the remaining 2 hour open house has been converted into flex hours (used only outside of the school day) to accommodate families. Please communicate with your families about your conference plan ASAP. THIS MUST BE COMPLETED BY JANUARY 31,  2016.

BAS Testing K-2

The winter benchmark window is now open through February 10th.  Teachers in K2-2 should administer the BAS for students who are reading below the current grade level instructional expectations.  Instructional level expectations for the middle of the year are as follows: Kindergarten - C, Grade 1 - G, Grade 2 - L.  

WIAT

WIAT testing will be used staring 1/2016 for all IEP determination meetings. Email Jessica or Joyce with further questions.

Book Swap

The Winter Book Swap has been rescheduled to Friday, January 29^th! Students in Grades K2-5 will be able to choose a “new to you” book from the donated collection  during their lunch period. WE NEED MORE BOOKS! Look for the blue donation boxes in the Upper and Lower school lobbies.  The deadline for donating books for the book swap is Thursday, January 28^th. Please contact Caitlyn Gable (Lower School) or Eileen Cronin (Upper School) with any questions.

Missed P&D

Please see Madeline and Kathy if you have missed P&D time since September. They will be collecting this information so individuals can be appropriately compensated.

1/21/16 Daily Bulletin

Shout Out

Shout out to Tenacity 8th graders Nyah Jacobs, Aaron Thomas, Sharon Thomas, Amari Johnson, and Jorge Soto, for spending their MLK Day day service learning at Brandeis University, participating in social justice workshops and helping pack meals for homeless shelters. Also thanks to all the Tenacity staff for coordinating this amazing opportunity for our students.

Shout out to team PACE for supporting one another last week when there were several absences. Every adult stepped up and made sure that students were safe and learning. Thank you!

ACCESS

ACCESS testing will continue tomorrow for Grades 1,3,6,7,& 8. Thank you for letting us know which students missed which parts of the tests. There will be a schedule for make ups tomorrow once all students have gone through the two days of testing. Materials will be available tomorrow in Mr. Diaz's office at 8. 

Patriots Day Friday

Help us support our home team as they head to the AFC Championship Game. Patriots Pride Day this Friday.  Wear your favorite Patriot's gear or red, white and blue. A call will go out to families tomorrow as well.

Staff Holiday Party

Save the date! We will celebrate the new year together at Bella Luna on Friday, January 29th from 3:30-6:30.  The cost is $25 per person and includes salad and all you can eat pizza!

PD 

Thursday from 3pm-5pm PACE and Literacy Collaborative Cohort 2 will have PD. Cailtlyn Gable and Liz Spring will share further details.

Summer Programming

Summer at BAA offers three distinct arts summer programs in Dance, Film and STEAM for teens between the ages of 12 - 17. Our dedicated faculty is committed to offering each and every student a personalized experience that fosters creativity while enhancing technical skills. Be challenged and inspired to create with distinguished artists and educators at Boston Arts Academy in Summer 2016!

Website: www.summeratbaa.org Application: http://summeratbaa.org/apply/ Pick your passion to explore within a diverse community: Dance: July 11-22, 2016 Film: July 11-22, 2016 STEAM: July 5-8, 2016

ELT Planning Meeting

Thank you to everyone that attended our ELT meetings over the last two days! We enjoyed hearing new ideas and being asked questions that pushed our thinking. As we gather answers we will be sure to communicate this with you all. We also recognize that new idea will come to people over time and we want people to submit them here. Also if you missed the presentation you can view it here. Thanks!

ACCESS Testing

ACCESS testing begins on Tuesday. Please look at the schedule. There has been a change to grade 6-8 they will test on Wednesday and Thursday (1/20&1/21) Make ups for all grades will be on Friday 1/22. 

Grade 1 non testing students will go to Banks and Craman

Grade 2 non testing students will go to Burke. 

Grade 3 non testing students will go to Petmezis. 

Grade 4 non testing students will go to Tefera.

Grade 5 non testing students will go to Daly or Quatrale. 

Grades 6-8 Gen Ed students will be pulled out and return to their regular schedule when they complete testing. 

Testing should be done Reading & Listening on one day and Writing on the next. Teachers are not supposed to play the listening CD on their computers, so please let us know if you need a CD player. 

Testing materials will be available the day of the test in Mr. Diaz's office beginning at 8:00. Allow yourself 10 minutes to make sure you have everything you need. Attached is the schedule of who will be testing students and when. Please look at the schedule and list and let Waverly know if there are any mistakes or questions. 

Field Trips

Just a friendly reminder that when you fill out a field trip request form that you should also check in with the nurses. We appear to be in a lull with field trips this winter but before we know it spring will be here.

ELA Winter Benchmark – Grades 3-8

The ELA winter benchmark assessment for grades 3-8 should be conducted between January 15th and February 1st.  We will use DIBELS/DAZE Benchmark 2 for grades 3-6, and MAZE Benchmark 2 for grades 7 and 8.  All testing materials will be distributed to teachers this week, and assessment results should be entered into the WIN Data spreadsheet on the Google drive in the appropriately titled column, as soon after the completion of testing as possible. Please contact Eileen Cronin for any questions regarding the upcoming benchmarking activities.

Parent Conferences

Several families have reached out to ask when parent conferences will be held since they heard that other families were already having conferences with certain grade levels. Please remember that we should work hard to assure that all families can attend a conference with their child’s teachers. Also the remaining 2 hour open house has been converted into flex hours (used only outside of the school day) to accommodate families. Please communicate with your families about your conference plan ASAP. THIS MUST BE COMPLETED BY JANUARY 31,  2016.

BAS Testing K-2

The winter benchmark window is now open through February 10th.  Teachers in K2-2 should administer the BAS for students who are reading below the current grade level instructional expectations.  Instructional level expectations for the middle of the year are as follows: Kindergarten - C, Grade 1 - G, Grade 2 - L.  

WIAT

WIAT testing will be used staring 1/2016 for all IEP determination meetings. Email Jessica or Joyce with further questions.

Book Swap

The Winter Book Swap has been rescheduled to Friday, January 29^th! Students in Grades K2-5 will be able to choose a “new to you” book from the donated collection  during their lunch period. WE NEED MORE BOOKS! Look for the blue donation boxes in the Upper and Lower school lobbies.  The deadline for donating books for the book swap is Thursday, January 28^th. Please contact Caitlyn Gable (Lower School) or Eileen Cronin (Upper School) with any questions.

Missed P&D

Please see Madeline and Kathy if you have missed P&D time since September. They will be collecting this information so individuals can be appropriately compensated.

1/20/16 Daily Bulletin

Shout Out

Shout out to Meg Nason, Craig Melzer, Joyce Cunha, Dawn Avery, Linda Solomon Keys and Lesley Peck Oser for working hard to support a student's request to be included. The team continues to work hard for this student to assure that he continues to engage in his learning. Thanks!

WIN

Due to ACCESS testing, the WIN block will be cancelled for grades 6-8 on Wednesday, January 20th, Grade level teams should plan classroom coverage accordingly.  Please contact Olivia Peters or Waverly Kidd if you have any questions regarding ACCESS testing schedules.

Staff Holiday Party

Save the date! We will celebrate the new year together at Bella Luna on Friday, January 29th from 3:30-6:30.  More details coming soon!

ILT

ILT will meet on Wednesday from 3:00-4:15pm in room 111. All are welcome!

PD 

Thursday from 3pm-5pm PACE and Literacy Collaborative Cohort 2 will have PD. Cailtlyn Gable and Liz Spring will share further details.

ELT Planning Meeting

Thank you to everyone that attended our ELT meetings over the last two days! We enjoyed hearing new ideas and being asked questions that pushed our thinking. As we gather answers we will be sure to communicate this with you all. We also recognize that new idea will come to people over time and we want people to submit them here. Also if you missed the presentation you can view it here. Thanks!

ACCESS Testing

ACCESS testing begins on Tuesday. Please look at the schedule. There has been a change to grade 6-8 they will test on Wednesday and Thursday (1/20&1/21) Make ups for all grades will be on Friday 1/22. 

Grade 1 non testing students will go to Banks and Craman

Grade 2 non testing students will go to Burke. 

Grade 3 non testing students will go to Petmezis. 

Grade 4 non testing students will go to Tefera.

Grade 5 non testing students will go to Daly or Quatrale. 

Grades 6-8 Gen Ed students will be pulled out and return to their regular schedule when they complete testing. 

Testing should be done Reading & Listening on one day and Writing on the next. Teachers are not supposed to play the listening CD on their computers, so please let us know if you need a CD player. 

Testing materials will be available the day of the test in Mr. Diaz's office beginning at 8:00. Allow yourself 10 minutes to make sure you have everything you need. Attached is the schedule of who will be testing students and when. Please look at the schedule and list and let Waverly know if there are any mistakes or questions. 

Field Trips

Just a friendly reminder that when you fill out a field trip request form that you should also check in with the nurses. We appear to be in a lull with field trips this winter but before we know it spring will be here.

ELA Winter Benchmark – Grades 3-8

The ELA winter benchmark assessment for grades 3-8 should be conducted between January 15th and February 1st.  We will use DIBELS/DAZE Benchmark 2 for grades 3-6, and MAZE Benchmark 2 for grades 7 and 8.  All testing materials will be distributed to teachers this week, and assessment results should be entered into the WIN Data spreadsheet on the Google drive in the appropriately titled column, as soon after the completion of testing as possible. Please contact Eileen Cronin for any questions regarding the upcoming benchmarking activities.

Parent Conferences

Several families have reached out to ask when parent conferences will be held since they heard that other families were already having conferences with certain grade levels. Please remember that we should work hard to assure that all families can attend a conference with their child’s teachers. Also the remaining 2 hour open house has been converted into flex hours (used only outside of the school day) to accommodate families. Please communicate with your families about your conference plan ASAP. THIS MUST BE COMPLETED BY JANUARY 31,  2016.

BAS Testing K-2

The winter benchmark window is now open through February 10th.  Teachers in K2-2 should administer the BAS for students who are reading below the current grade level instructional expectations.  Instructional level expectations for the middle of the year are as follows: Kindergarten - C, Grade 1 - G, Grade 2 - L.  

WIAT

WIAT testing will be used staring 1/2016 for all IEP determination meetings. Email Jessica or Joyce with further questions and stay tuned for scoring directions that will be emailed to teachers tomorrow.

Book Swap

The Winter Book Swap has been rescheduled to Friday, January 29^th! Students in Grades K2-5 will be able to choose a “new to you” book from the donated collection  during their lunch period. WE NEED MORE BOOKS! Look for the blue donation boxes in the Upper and Lower school lobbies.  The deadline for donating books for the book swap is Thursday, January 28^th. Please contact Caitlyn Gable (Lower School) or Eileen Cronin (Upper School) with any questions.

Missed P&D

Please see Madeline and Kathy if you have missed P&D time since September. They will be collecting this information so individuals can be appropriately compensated.

1/19/16 Daily Bulletin

Shout Out

Shout out to Layla Cable for helping a colleague out on Friday so we could host a training. Thank you for being a team player.

Shout out to Mary Ellen Liacos and her team from BalletROX for hosting a FABULOUS dance performance for our middle school students. The performance was stellar, the audiences was impressed and the dancers left feeling proud. Thank you!

Staff Holiday Party

Save the date! We will celebrate the new year together at Bella Luna on Friday, January 29th from 3:30-6:30.  More details coming soon!

ILT

ILT will meet on Wednesday from 3:00-4:15pm in room 111. All are welcome!

ELT Planning Meeting

Thank you to everyone that attended our ELT meetings over the last two days! We enjoyed hearing new ideas and being asked questions that pushed our thinking. As we gather answers we will be sure to communicate this with you all. We also recognize that new idea will come to people over time and we want people to submit them here. Also if you missed the presentation you can view it here. Thanks!

ACCESS Testing

ACCESS testing begins on Tuesday. Please look at the schedule. There has been a change to grade 6-8 they will test on Wednesday and Thursday (1/20&1/21) Make ups for all grades will be on Friday 1/22. 

Grade 1 non testing students will go to Banks and Craman

Grade 2 non testing students will go to Burke. 

Grade 3 non testing students will go to Petmezis. 

Grade 4 non testing students will go to Tefera.

Grade 5 non testing students will go to Daly or Quatrale. 

Grades 6-8 Gen Ed students will be pulled out and return to their regular schedule when they complete testing. 

Testing should be done Reading & Listening on one day and Writing on the next. Teachers are not supposed to play the listening CD on their computers, so please let us know if you need a CD player. 

Testing materials will be available the day of the test in Mr. Diaz's office beginning at 8:00. Allow yourself 10 minutes to make sure you have everything you need. Attached is the schedule of who will be testing students and when. Please look at the schedule and list and let Waverly know if there are any mistakes or questions. 

Field Trips

Just a friendly reminder that when you fill out a field trip request form that you should also check in with the nurses. We appear to be in a lull with field trips this winter but before we know it spring will be here.

ELA Winter Benchmark – Grades 3-8

The ELA winter benchmark assessment for grades 3-8 should be conducted between January 15th and February 1st.  We will use DIBELS/DAZE Benchmark 2 for grades 3-6, and MAZE Benchmark 2 for grades 7 and 8.  All testing materials will be distributed to teachers this week, and assessment results should be entered into the WIN Data spreadsheet on the Google drive in the appropriately titled column, as soon after the completion of testing as possible. Please contact Eileen Cronin for any questions regarding the upcoming benchmarking activities.

Parent Conferences

Several families have reached out to ask when parent conferences will be held since they heard that other families were already having conferences with certain grade levels. Please remember that we should work hard to assure that all families can attend a conference with their child’s teachers. Also the remaining 2 hour open house has been converted into flex hours (used only outside of the school day) to accommodate families. Please communicate with your families about your conference plan ASAP. THIS MUST BE COMPLETED BY JANUARY 31,  2016.

BAS Testing K-2

The winter benchmark window is now open through February 10th.  Teachers in K2-2 should administer the BAS for students who are reading below the current grade level instructional expectations.  Instructional level expectations for the middle of the year are as follows: Kindergarten - C, Grade 1 - G, Grade 2 - L.  

WIAT

WIAT testing will be used staring 1/2016 for all IEP determination meetings. Email Jessica or Joyce with further questions and stay tuned for scoring directions that will be emailed to teachers tomorrow.

Book Swap

The Winter Book Swap has been rescheduled to Friday, January 29^th! Students in Grades K2-5 will be able to choose a “new to you” book from the donated collection  during their lunch period. WE NEED MORE BOOKS! Look for the blue donation boxes in the Upper and Lower school lobbies.  The deadline for donating books for the book swap is Thursday, January 28^th. Please contact Caitlyn Gable (Lower School) or Eileen Cronin (Upper School) with any questions.

Missed P&D

Please see Madeline and Kathy if you have missed P&D time since September. They will be collecting this information so individuals can be appropriately compensated.

1/15/16 Daily Bulletin

Shout Out

Shout out to Nelly Rivera and Jenny Goldstein for leading their classes to selling the most raffle tickets for the Fall Fling. We know this is three months late but the SPC just announced the winners and treated both classes to pizza parties! Thank you both for caring about our school.

Shout out to Elaine Cronin, David Diaz, Adrian Ward-Jackson and Susan Trotz for stepping up and helping out with the school showcase today. There was a misprint about the time for our event (was suppose to occur at 3pm) and several families showed up this morning. This team wasted no time welcoming families and showing them around the Curley! Thanks!

Principal for the Day

Tomorrow we will host two principals for the day! Heidi Brooks and Kathleen Glover are the proud parent and grandparent of two girls at the Curley (K1 & Grade 2). They bid last year at the silent auction for this opportunity and are looking forward to spending time seeing the Curley in action tomorrow morning. Please be sure to welcome them!

ELT Planning Meeting

Thank you to everyone that attended our ELT meetings over the last two days! We enjoyed hearing new ideas and being asked questions that pushed our thinking. As we gather answers we will be sure to communicate this with you all. We also recognize that new idea will come to people over time and we want people to submit them here. Also if you missed the presentation you can view it here. Thanks!

ACCESS Testing

Attached is the schedule of who will be testing students and when. Please look at the schedule and list and let Waverly know if there are any mistakes or questions. We will be doing Reading, Writing and Listening first and then Speaking at a later date. 

Field Trips

Just a friendly reminder that when you fill out a field trip request form that you should also check in with the nurses. We appear to be in a lull with field trips this winter but before we know it spring will be here.

ELA Winter Benchmark – Grades 3-8

The ELA winter benchmark assessment for grades 3-8 should be conducted between January 15th and February 1st.  We will use DIBELS/DAZE Benchmark 2 for grades 3-6, and MAZE Benchmark 2 for grades 7 and 8.  All testing materials will be distributed to teachers this week, and assessment results should be entered into the WIN Data spreadsheet on the Google drive in the appropriately titled column, as soon after the completion of testing as possible. Please contact Eileen Cronin for any questions regarding the upcoming benchmarking activities.

Parent Conferences

Several families have reached out to ask when parent conferences will be held since they heard that other families were already having conferences with certain grade levels. Please remember that we should work hard to assure that all families can attend a conference with their child’s teachers. Also the remaining 2 hour open house has been converted into flex hours (used only outside of the school day) to accommodate families. Please communicate with your families about your conference plan ASAP. THIS MUST BE COMPLETED BY JANUARY 31,  2016.

Preference Sheets

Yes, it is that time of year! We are planning for next year and want to know your preference. This information is helpful as I finalize the budget and attend probable org. Attached is the sheet but there are printed ones in the main office and these are due back to the secretaries by Friday, January 15, 2016.

BAS Testing K-2

The winter benchmark window is now open through February 10th.  Teachers in K2-2 should administer the BAS for students who are reading below the current grade level instructional expectations.  Instructional level expectations for the middle of the year are as follows: Kindergarten - C, Grade 1 - G, Grade 2 - L.  

WIAT

WIAT testing will be used staring 1/2016 for all IEP determination meetings. Email Jessica or Joyce with further questions and stay tuned for scoring directions that will be emailed to teachers tomorrow.

Book Swap

The Winter Book Swap has been rescheduled to Friday, January 29^th! Students in Grades K2-5 will be able to choose a “new to you” book from the donated collection  during their lunch period. WE NEED MORE BOOKS! Look for the blue donation boxes in the Upper and Lower school lobbies.  The deadline for donating books for the book swap is Thursday, January 28^th. Please contact Caitlyn Gable (Lower School) or Eileen Cronin (Upper School) with any questions.

Auditorium Sound System

Do you ever use the sound system?
Can you spare 15 minutes of your time?
If you do use the sound for any events, there will be trainings in January to know how to properly work with the system. It is important to have one member from each team, so that we can make best use of our equipment. Kim will send out a Doodle on Sunday to find out which times work best for the most staff. Please let Kim Taylor Knight know of any questions or concerns you might have, as well. Please fill out your preference here http://doodle.com/poll/ifevk5atzbvuqdue

School Showcase

We have one more showcase session Thursday, January 14th from 3-4pm.

Missed P&D

Please see Madeline and Kathy if you have missed P&D time since September. They will be collecting this information so individuals can be appropriately compensated.

1/14/16 Daily Bulletin

Shout Out

Shout out to City Year for helping us get our Smile and Say Hello posters hung around the school! They look great! 

ELT Planning Meeting

Thank you to everyone that attended our ELT meetings over the last two days! We enjoyed hearing new ideas and being asked questions that pushed our thinking. As we gather answers we will be sure to communicate this with you all. We also recognize that new idea will come to people over time and we want people to submit them here. Also if you missed the presentation you can view it here. Thanks!

ACCESS Testing

Attached is the schedule of who will be testing students and when. Please look at the schedule and list and let Waverly know if there are any mistakes or questions. We will be doing Reading, Writing and Listening first and then Speaking at a later date. 

Field Trips

Just a friendly reminder that when you fill out a field trip request form that you should also check in with the nurses. We appear to be in a lull with field trips this winter but before we know it spring will be here.

ELA Winter Benchmark – Grades 3-8

The ELA winter benchmark assessment for grades 3-8 should be conducted between January 15th and February 1st.  We will use DIBELS/DAZE Benchmark 2 for grades 3-6, and MAZE Benchmark 2 for grades 7 and 8.  All testing materials will be distributed to teachers this week, and assessment results should be entered into the WIN Data spreadsheet on the Google drive in the appropriately titled column, as soon after the completion of testing as possible. Please contact Eileen Cronin for any questions regarding the upcoming benchmarking activities.

Parent Conferences

Several families have reached out to ask when parent conferences will be held since they heard that other families were already having conferences with certain grade levels. Please remember that we should work hard to assure that all families can attend a conference with their child’s teachers. Also the remaining 2 hour open house has been converted into flex hours (used only outside of the school day) to accommodate families. Please communicate with your families about your conference plan ASAP. THIS MUST BE COMPLETED BY JANUARY 31,  2016.

Preference Sheets

Yes, it is that time of year! We are planning for next year and want to know your preference. This information is helpful as I finalize the budget and attend probable org. Attached is the sheet but there are printed ones in the main office and these are due back to the secretaries by Friday, January 15, 2016.

BAS Testing K-2

The winter benchmark window is now open through February 10th.  Teachers in K2-2 should administer the BAS for students who are reading below the current grade level instructional expectations.  Instructional level expectations for the middle of the year are as follows: Kindergarten - C, Grade 1 - G, Grade 2 - L.  

WIAT

WIAT testing will be used staring 1/2016 for all IEP determination meetings. Email Jessica or Joyce with further questions and stay tuned for scoring directions that will be emailed to teachers tomorrow.

Book Swap

The Winter Book Swap has been rescheduled to Friday, January 29^th! Students in Grades K2-5 will be able to choose a “new to you” book from the donated collection  during their lunch period. WE NEED MORE BOOKS! Look for the blue donation boxes in the Upper and Lower school lobbies.  The deadline for donating books for the book swap is Thursday, January 28^th. Please contact Caitlyn Gable (Lower School) or Eileen Cronin (Upper School) with any questions.

Auditorium Sound System

Do you ever use the sound system?
Can you spare 15 minutes of your time?
If you do use the sound for any events, there will be trainings in January to know how to properly work with the system. It is important to have one member from each team, so that we can make best use of our equipment. Kim will send out a Doodle on Sunday to find out which times work best for the most staff. Please let Kim Taylor Knight know of any questions or concerns you might have, as well. Please fill out your preference here http://doodle.com/poll/ifevk5atzbvuqdue

School Showcase

We have one more showcase session Thursday, January 14th from 3-4pm.

Missed P&D

Please see Madeline and Kathy if you have missed P&D time since September. They will be collecting this information so individuals can be appropriately compensated.

1/13/16 Daily Bulletin

Shout Out

Shout out to our Custodial Team for keeping our school as clean as possible with the limited resources and human capital. We know you work hard each and every day for our students and we appreciate it! And a big thank you in advance for the the shoveling that could be coming your way! Thanks!

ELT Planning Meeting

We will host two voluntary staff meetings regarding ELT this week. This is an opportunity for staff to hear about the process thus far as well as time to ask questions and give feedback. We hope that you are able to join us at one of these meetings: Tuesday, January 12th 3:00pm-3:45pm or Wednesday, January 13th 7:15am-8:00am in the auditorium. We are hosting similar meetings with families as well. We also recognize that new idea will come to people over time and we want people to submit them here. Thanks!

ACCESS Testing

Attached is the schedule of who will be testing students and when. Please look at the schedule and list and let Waverly know if there are any mistakes or questions. We will be doing Reading, Writing and Listening first and then Speaking at a later date. 

Field Trips

Just a friendly reminder that when you fill out a field trip request form that you should also check in with the nurses. We appear to be in a lull with field trips this winter but before we know it spring will be here.

ELA Winter Benchmark – Grades 3-8

The ELA winter benchmark assessment for grades 3-8 should be conducted between January 15th and February 1st.  We will use DIBELS/DAZE Benchmark 2 for grades 3-6, and MAZE Benchmark 2 for grades 7 and 8.  All testing materials will be distributed to teachers this week, and assessment results should be entered into the WIN Data spreadsheet on the Google drive in the appropriately titled column, as soon after the completion of testing as possible. Please contact Eileen Cronin for any questions regarding the upcoming benchmarking activities.

Parent Conferences

Several families have reached out to ask when parent conferences will be held since they heard that other families were already having conferences with certain grade levels. Please remember that we should work hard to assure that all families can attend a conference with their child’s teachers. Also the remaining 2 hour open house has been converted into flex hours (used only outside of the school day) to accommodate families. Please communicate with your families about your conference plan ASAP. THIS MUST BE COMPLETED BY JANUARY 31,  2016.

School Climate Team 

The School Climate Team will meet on Wednesday, January 13th from 3pm-4:15pm in room 212. There should be a representative sent from each grade level.

Preference Sheets

Yes, it is that time of year! We are planning for next year and want to know your preference. This information is helpful as I finalize the budget and attend probable org. Attached is the sheet but there are printed ones in the main office and these are due back to the secretaries by Friday, January 15, 2016.

BAS Testing K-2

The winter benchmark window is now open through February 10th.  Teachers in K2-2 should administer the BAS for students who are reading below the current grade level instructional expectations.  Instructional level expectations for the middle of the year are as follows: Kindergarten - C, Grade 1 - G, Grade 2 - L.  

WIAT

WIAT testing will be used staring 1/2016 for all IEP determination meetings. Email Jessica or Joyce with further questions and stay tuned for scoring directions that will be emailed to teachers tomorrow.

Book Swap

The Winter Book Swap has been rescheduled to Friday, January 29^th! Students in Grades K2-5 will be able to choose a “new to you” book from the donated collection  during their lunch period. WE NEED MORE BOOKS! Look for the blue donation boxes in the Upper and Lower school lobbies.  The deadline for donating books for the book swap is Thursday, January 28^th. Please contact Caitlyn Gable (Lower School) or Eileen Cronin (Upper School) with any questions.

PD Opportunity

Would you like to earn 10 pdp's and $300, while collaborating and sharing ideas with your colleagues? Are you interested in gaining new skills to incorporate both the common core and universal design for learning strategies, using drama and dance activities? Do you like finding new ways of collaborating with your peers? Would you benefit from having a paid sub to visit another classroom to learn new ways of using drama and dance for inclusion? If you answered yes to one of these questions, Very Special Arts Massachusetts  has a learning community with you in mind. Embodying Literacy will meet at the Curley with a flexible schedule. Please let Kim Knight know of your interest by Tuesday so that you can be added to our list of participants.

Auditorium Sound System

Do you ever use the sound system?
Can you spare 15 minutes of your time?
If you do use the sound for any events, there will be trainings in January to know how to properly work with the system. It is important to have one member from each team, so that we can make best use of our equipment. Kim will send out a Doodle on Sunday to find out which times work best for the most staff. Please let Kim Taylor Knight know of any questions or concerns you might have, as well. Please fill out your preference here http://doodle.com/poll/ifevk5atzbvuqdue

School Showcase

We have one more showcase session Thursday, January 14th from 3-4pm.

Missed P&D

Please see Madeline and Kathy if you have missed P&D time since September. They will be collecting this information so individuals can be appropriately compensated.

1/12/16 Daily Bulletin

Shout Out

Shout out to Candida Mundo and Layla Cable for their hard work educating the students in our SIFE program. The students are making so much progress and exceeding our expectations! Thank you for working so hard to collaborate on behalf of students.

ELT Planning Meeting

We will host two voluntary staff meetings regarding ELT this week. This is an opportunity for staff to hear about the process thus far as well as time to ask questions and give feedback. We hope that you are able to join us at one of these meetings: Tuesday, January 12th 3:00pm-3:45pm or Wednesday, January 13th 7:15am-8:00am in the auditorium. We are hosting similar meetings with families as well.

ACCESS Testing

Attached is the schedule of who will be testing students and when. Please look at the schedule and list and let Waverly know if there are any mistakes or questions. We will be doing Reading, Writing and Listening first and then Speaking at a later date. 

Door Painting

This event has been postponed and more information will follow about a new date for the event.

Field Trips

Just a friendly reminder that when you fill out a field trip request form that you should also check in with the nurses. We appear to be in a lull with field trips this winter but before we know it spring will be here.

ELA Winter Benchmark – Grades 3-8

The ELA winter benchmark assessment for grades 3-8 should be conducted between January 15th and February 1st.  We will use DIBELS/DAZE Benchmark 2 for grades 3-6, and MAZE Benchmark 2 for grades 7 and 8.  All testing materials will be distributed to teachers this week, and assessment results should be entered into the WIN Data spreadsheet on the Google drive in the appropriately titled column, as soon after the completion of testing as possible. Please contact Eileen Cronin for any questions regarding the upcoming benchmarking activities.

Parent Conferences

Several families have reached out to ask when parent conferences will be held since they heard that other families were already having conferences with certain grade levels. Please remember that we should work hard to assure that all families can attend a conference with their child’s teachers. Also the remaining 2 hour open house has been converted into flex hours (used only outside of the school day) to accommodate families. Please communicate with your families about your conference plan ASAP. THIS MUST BE COMPLETED BY JANUARY 31,  2016.

School Climate Team 

The School Climate Team will meet on Wednesday, January 13th from 3pm-4:15pm in room 212. There should be a representative sent from each grade level.

Preference Sheets

Yes, it is that time of year! We are planning for next year and want to know your preference. This information is helpful as I finalize the budget and attend probable org. Attached is the sheet but there are printed ones in the main office and these are due back to the secretaries by Friday, January 15, 2016.

BAS Testing K-2

The winter benchmark window is now open through February 10th.  Teachers in K2-2 should administer the BAS for students who are reading below the current grade level instructional expectations.  Instructional level expectations for the middle of the year are as follows: Kindergarten - C, Grade 1 - G, Grade 2 - L.  

WIAT

WIAT testing will be used staring 1/2016 for all IEP determination meetings. Email Jessica or Joyce with further questions and stay tuned for scoring directions that will be emailed to teachers tomorrow.

Book Swap

The Winter Book Swap has been rescheduled to Friday, January 29^th! Students in Grades K2-5 will be able to choose a “new to you” book from the donated collection  during their lunch period. WE NEED MORE BOOKS! Look for the blue donation boxes in the Upper and Lower school lobbies.  The deadline for donating books for the book swap is Thursday, January 28^th. Please contact Caitlyn Gable (Lower School) or Eileen Cronin (Upper School) with any questions.

PD Opportunity

Would you like to earn 10 pdp's and $300, while collaborating and sharing ideas with your colleagues? Are you interested in gaining new skills to incorporate both the common core and universal design for learning strategies, using drama and dance activities? Do you like finding new ways of collaborating with your peers? Would you benefit from having a paid sub to visit another classroom to learn new ways of using drama and dance for inclusion? If you answered yes to one of these questions, Very Special Arts Massachusetts  has a learning community with you in mind. Embodying Literacy will meet at the Curley with a flexible schedule. Please let Kim Knight know of your interest by Tuesday so that you can be added to our list of participants.

Auditorium Sound System

Do you ever use the sound system?
Can you spare 15 minutes of your time?
If you do use the sound for any events, there will be trainings in January to know how to properly work with the system. It is important to have one member from each team, so that we can make best use of our equipment. Kim will send out a Doodle on Sunday to find out which times work best for the most staff. Please let Kim Taylor Knight know of any questions or concerns you might have, as well. Please fill out your preference here http://doodle.com/poll/ifevk5atzbvuqdue

School Showcase

We have one more showcase session Thursday, January 14th from 3-4pm.

Missed P&D

Please see Madeline and Kathy if you have missed P&D time since September. They will be collecting this information so individuals can be appropriately compensated.

1/11/16 Daily Bulletin

Shout Out

Shout out to Melanie Bourgeault and Teresa Javaloyes and her students for being in the Boston Herald this past week.  We were featured as part of a full page add with Ernie Boch Jr. Our names were not mentioned but we can spot our caring sign! Thanks for caring about music!

ELT Planning Meeting

We will host two voluntary staff meetings regarding ELT this week. This is an opportunity for staff to hear about the process thus far as well as time to ask questions and give feedback. We hope that you are able to join us at one of these meetings: Tuesday, January 12th 3:00pm-3:45pm or Wednesday, January 13th 7:15am-8:00am, location is TBD. We are hosting similar meetings with families as well.

Parent Conferences

Several families have reached out to ask when parent conferences will be held since they heard that other families were already having conferences with certain grade levels. Please remember that we should work hard to assure that all families can attend a conference with their child’s teachers. Also the remaining 2 hour open house has been converted into flex hours (used only outside of the school day) to accommodate families. Please communicate with your families about your conference plan ASAP. THIS MUST BE COMPLETED BY JANUARY 31,  2016.

School Climate Team 

The School Climate Team will meet on Wednesday, January 13th from 3pm-4:15pm in room 212. There should be a representative sent from each grade level.

Preference Sheets

Yes, it is that time of year! We are planning for next year and want to know your preference. This information is helpful as I finalize the budget and attend probable org. Attached is the sheet but there are printed ones in the main office and these are due back to the secretaries by Friday, January 15, 2016.

Door Painting

Please join the School Climate Team for door painting on Tuesday, January 12th from 3pm-5pm. For more information please reach out to Jesse Cardoso, Genet Mehari, Meg Nason or Cara Hins.

ACCESS Testing

ACCESS materials will be arriving tomorrow we are tentatively starting testing on Tuesday, January 19th. All K0/K1 students should begin WAPT testing this week and will continue through 1/14/16. A schedule of testing will follow later this week for all other grades.. Please contact Waverly Kidd with any questions. Do not forget to submit your certificates from the WIDA test to Madeline and Kathy.

BAS Testing K-2

The winter benchmark window is now open through February 10th.  Teachers in K2-2 should administer the BAS for students who are reading below the current grade level instructional expectations.  Instructional level expectations for the middle of the year are as follows: Kindergarten - C, Grade 1 - G, Grade 2 - L.  

WIAT

WIAT testing will be used staring 1/2016 for all IEP determination meetings. Email Jessica or Joyce with further questions and stay tuned for scoring directions that will be emailed to teachers tomorrow.

Book Swap

The Winter Book Swap has been rescheduled to Friday, January 29^th! Students in Grades K2-5 will be able to choose a “new to you” book from the donated collection  during their lunch period. WE NEED MORE BOOKS! Look for the blue donation boxes in the Upper and Lower school lobbies.  The deadline for donating books for the book swap is Thursday, January 28^th. Please contact Caitlyn Gable (Lower School) or Eileen Cronin (Upper School) with any questions.

PD Opportunity

Would you like to earn 10 pdp's and $300, while collaborating and sharing ideas with your colleagues? Are you interested in gaining new skills to incorporate both the common core and universal design for learning strategies, using drama and dance activities? Do you like finding new ways of collaborating with your peers? Would you benefit from having a paid sub to visit another classroom to learn new ways of using drama and dance for inclusion? If you answered yes to one of these questions, Very Special Arts Massachusetts  has a learning community with you in mind. Embodying Literacy will meet at the Curley with a flexible schedule. Please let Kim Knight know of your interest by Tuesday so that you can be added to our list of participants.

Auditorium Sound System

Do you ever use the sound system?
Can you spare 15 minutes of your time?
If you do use the sound for any events, there will be trainings in January to know how to properly work with the system. It is important to have one member from each team, so that we can make best use of our equipment. Kim will send out a Doodle on Sunday to find out which times work best for the most staff. Please let Kim Taylor Knight know of any questions or concerns you might have, as well. Please fill out your preference here http://doodle.com/poll/ifevk5atzbvuqdue

School Showcase

We have one more showcase session Thursday, January 14th from 3-4pm.

Missed P&D

Please see Madeline and Kathy if you have missed P&D time since September. They will be collecting this information so individuals can be appropriately compensated.

1/8/16 Daily Bulletin

Shout Out

Shout out to Christina Burke, Joanne Mylett, Kristin Clark, Deb Aviles, Maria Amy-Moreno, Heide Signes, Maureen Cullen, Danielle Moran, Elaine Cronin, Annette Beaudrault and Eva Banks for leading the shares for their perspective assemblies today. They were fabulous performances that included American Sign Language (at two separate assemblies), collaboration with buddy rooms and many students standing up in front of an audience to speak! Kudos to you all!

ACCESS Testing

ACCESS materials will be arriving tomorrow we are tentatively starting testing on Tuesday, January 19th. All K0/K1 students should begin WAPT testing this week and will continue through 1/14/16. A schedule of testing will follow later this week for all other grades.. Please contact Waverly Kidd with any questions. Do not forget to submit your certificates from the WIDA test to Madeline and Kathy.

WIAT

WIAT testing will be used staring 1/2016 for all IEP determination meetings. Email Jessica or Joyce with further questions and stay tuned for scoring directions that will be emailed to teachers tomorrow.

Book Swap

Please note that the books swap has been postponed until January. Students K-5 will choose books during their lunch period on a date TBD in January. Please wait until that time to choose books to ensure all students K-5 receive a book. In the meantime, please place all book swap donations in the large blue boxes by each main office. Thank you.

Auditorium Sound System

Do you ever use the sound system?
Can you spare 15 minutes of your time?
If you do use the sound for any events, there will be trainings in January to know how to properly work with the system. It is important to have one member from each team, so that we can make best use of our equipment. Kim will send out a Doodle on Sunday to find out which times work best for the most staff. Please let Kim Taylor Knight know of any questions or concerns you might have, as well. Please fill out your preference here http://doodle.com/poll/ifevk5atzbvuqdue

School Showcase

We have one more showcase session Thursday, January 14th from 3-4pm.

ELT Planning Meeting

Today 4 staff volunteered to attend the ELT Planning Meeting. We met at the BTU from 8:30am-3:30pm with 7 other schools that will be adding 40 extra minutes to their day in SY2016-2017. We want to be sure to communicate with staff after each meeting to assure that this process is transparent.
Here are some key messages we would like to share from today's learning:

• Our Extended Learning Time initiative is about building a better school day for our students, teachers and families. 
• With more time, our school will have more opportunities to provide targeted learning time for students, increase small group instruction, provide enrichment opportunities in order to increase student engagement and academic outcomes. At our first session we identified these urgent needs: 
• African American and Hispanic males do not perform on standardized tests at the same level as their White and Asian peers. 
• ELL and SPED students do not perform on standardized tests at the same level as their general education peers. 
• Overall as a school we struggle with reading and writing skills according to standardized tests. 
• We are just at the beginning and we need you to play an active role in the process of developing a new school experience for our community. 
• Between January and June the ELT Team will implement a community engagement process moving forward, stay tuned for meeting dates and other pertinent updates. 
• In the coming weeks you can get involved by reaching out to a member of the ELT team with questions and ideas (Ciardi, Grassa, Kidd, Peters, Wright). Click Here and you can submit your ideas and questions anonymously.