9/29/16 Daily Bulletin

Shout Out

Shout out to Megan Nason who went above and beyond to help a teacher. Being new to a school is challenging and she was quick to find forms, printed them out in English and Portuguese, and arranged for the counselor to support us. Thank you for helping me feel welcomed and supported in my new school!

Shout out to Maria Amy-Moreno for organizing a visit with Representative Jeffery Sanchez for our students. It was great for them to hear from a leader in our community. The students were happy to meet him and hear about his job and experiences.

 

Guidance Message

Dear Curley School Teachers and Staff,
BPS Parent University (in collaboration with the MSPCC KINnections Program) is offering a class for Spanish-speaking grandparents to help them be better able to support their grandchildren to become strong and eager readers. The class, which will be conducted in Spanish will be meeting every Monday morning in JP from Oct. 17 - Dec. 5.
We are looking for grandparents who:
1. Are raising their grandchildren, or
2. Have significant responsibility for their grandchildren (e.g. during the day while the parents are at work).
In the class we will be reading and discussing picture books that will engage adults as well as children in the elementary grades (e.g. a bilingual book about Sonia Sotomayor, or the Spanish editions of books like Thank You, Mr. Faulker, Wilma Unlimited, or Tomas and the Library Lady.)
The class is primarily geared toward grandparents of children in Kdg- 5th grade but if you have 6th or 7th grade grandparents who you think would benefit, they are certainly welcome. The ideas we will be discussing--e.g. how to read for deep comprehension, respond using evidence from the text, and use academic language--are pertinent to all grades. All Spanish-speaking grandparents are welcome, regardless of their level of education or native language (or English) literacy.
If you have grandparents to refer, please talk to them directly and, if they're tentatively interested, please give their name and telephone numbers to Sugeily Santos, the Curley guidance counselor. Once I get the names from Sugeily, I will then call and talk to them more about the class.
Thank you for any help you can give me in identifying participants for this class.

Here is the link to the flier to share with families.

LC PD

The first LC Pd of the year will be held in Helenia Solimini's room from 3-5pm, this Thursday, 9/29.  The focus of our time together will be using an inquiry approach to study genre across reading and writing.  Please be on the lookout for an email from Caitlyn with a list of professional resources to bring with you.  

TerraNova Testing for Grades 3-5

The window for TerraNova Testing opens Monday, October 2 through Wednesday, October 12, 2016. We will have the tests ready by Monday, October 2, 2016. Please come to the Lower School Main Office to collect your tests.  Scanners/booklets will be due Wednesday, October 12, 2016 at 12 pm. Any questions regarding the TerraNova Test please see or contact Mr. Diaz at ddiaz@bostonpublicschools.org

Library

We feel lucky to have a librarian to support our community this school year, Cheryl Kelley-Powers. Cheryl is currently supporting the work of setting up the libary and sorting through books. She will further collaborate with families to make our dream of a functioning library a reality. If you are doing research with students and need support please reach out to her. She is willing to come to class to teach lessons and share valuable resources. We are not at a point where books can be borroed from the library for students at this time.

Student Learning Goal

The Curley K-8 Student Learning Goal for SY 2016-2017, "Students will be able to express a clear, organized idea when ____X_______.  As a team we will create a system for progress monitoring student writing.  Our writing data will be tracked using a rubric."

Possible choices for blank X

• writing in response to reading
• writing reflectively about mathematical reasoning
• writing across content text types (explanatory, narrative, argumentative, opinion)
• completing process writing across text types (explanatory, narrative, argumentative, opinion)

Artifacts (Should include but are not limited to the list below)

• Common rubric
• Student work
• LASW Refections
• Student data tracked over time

Professional Development Plans 

Teams, either content or grade level, should be collaborating to create a PD plan which aligns with the instructional focus and is an extension of the work being completed during CPT. If teams need support in completing their plans please ask an administrator.  Professional development plans (everyone except K2-grade 2 teachers) should be submitted to your evaluator by October 14th. Teams may submit earlier if they are ready (thanks to several teams who already have). 

• Goals/Action Steps are now due October 7, 2016 (this can be a draft but must be submitted).
• Your Student Learning Goal will be school-wide and will be shared Sunday night in the Blog.
• Your Professional Practice Goal should directly align with this PD plan and be created by grade level or content teams. 
• At this time, TeachPlus has had to change their plans. We are hopeful that they will be able to offer courses in the spring but teams should not rely on them as part of their grade level plans.  Grade level/ content professional development should take place on the PD dates scheduled.

SPED PD Options

Below are some PD options being offered at the Curley during our contractual PD dates. Staff may want to include one or more of these into their team PD plan. Here is the link to sign up   https://goo.gl/forms/BwtGbumLgXBfLUMF2

• Sept 29th --- Understanding and Implementing IEPS (A--Specialists, B--Classroom Teachers) 
• Oct 20th --- Goal Writing for Special Education Teachers 
• Nov 17th --- The IEP Process/Meeting Expectations 
• Jan 19th --- Paperwork/IEP Progress Reports 
• Feb 16th --- Tier 1 and Tier 2 Interventions/curriculum modification 
• March 16th --- Behavior Supports 
• April 27th --- Understanding Disabilities and Services available 
• May 18th --- Middle School Transition/Life Skills 
• June 1st --- Inclusion 

SSC

Curley staff we are looking for two people (teachers and/or paras) to commit to a three year term on SSC. The School Site Council (SSC) is a group of teachers & parents that work with the principal to develop, review and evaluate school improvement programs and school budgets. They meet on the 2nd Tuesday of the month from 5:30pm-7:00pm. The first meeting with be on 10/18/16 due to the Jewish Holiday the previous week. 

The current teacher representatives' SSC terms are as follows:

Heide Signes and Alissa Ferro’s terms will be completed June 2016. Lindsey Wright and Jenni Craman will serve through June 2017. Charles Tewksbury and Olivia Peters serve thru June 2018. Let the BTU reps know if you would like to add your name to the ballot and feel free to check in with current representatives if you have any questions about what it takes to be on SSC. The vote will be next week. 

Guidance Message

Dear Homeroom Teachers,

I'd like to introduce myself to students in the lower school and to share some of the counseling services we have to offer this year. If you would like me to stop by your classroom, please click on the link below, write down your name, and day and time preference. I will follow up with you by sending an email confirmation at the end of the week. Thank you! Sugeily Santos

Classroom Visit

Environmental Safety Log

Last year, we placed environmental safety binders in each office. These binders can be accessed by staff and families at any time to log anything potentially hazardous in any of the outdoor spaces. Examples can include: dead animals, broken equipment, hazardous trash. Please log anything you see of concern.

Build BPS

BPS is looking to hear from various communities regarding the 10-Year Educational and Facilities Master Plan. There will be a Open House for communities on October 29^th-30^th from 9am-5pm at the Bruce C. Bolling Building. For more information go to http://www.bostonpublicschools.org/buildbps

Field Trips

If you are planning a field trip do not forget to fill out the request form and give to Madeline or Kathy. Also be sure to follow up with the Nurses and Cafeteria staff AT LEAST TWO WEEKS prior to the trip. This leave time to plan for food and/or medical needs of students.

Free Healthy Snacks

Congratulations! The Curley School has been selected as one of the 49 Boston Public Schools chosen for the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP) by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE).  Teachers will be provided with fresh fruit and vegetable snacks each week at times separate from breakfast and lunch.  For details please check your mailboxes for a list of most commonly asked questions and email Torri Canada for any further information.

Reserving Space

If you are interested in reserving the Playing Field or the Auditorium please go to curleyk8.blogspot.com. On the right hand side you will see the title Helpful Links (below the calendar) Click on Book Playing Field or Book Auditorium and submit your request. Requests must be submitted for use.

BPS Assessment Calendar

Click This link to access the BPS Assessment Calendar.