5/23/17 Daily Bulletin

Shout Out

Shout out to Jon Hatch for his help with Chrissy Perera's field trip to JP Licks last week! He created individualized visuals to help the students independently order ice cream, and brought them a game to practice this skill before the trip. Thank you for your dedication to your students!

Outdoor Recess Time

The weather is getting nicer by the day and we know everyone is eager to get students outside to play. Please keep in mind that there are scheduled times for recess throughout the school and added classes should not be added during those times. We have a schedule to ensure all students are safe. If staff want to request time on the field they can submit a request online at curleyk8.blogspot.com. Please note that PACE has recess scheduled on the play structures daily from 9:45-10:15 & 1:30-2:00. To help maintain safe student to staff ratio they should be the only classes on the play structure at that time. Otherwise recess is outside from 10:40-11:40 on the play structures and 12:00-1:20 on the play structures, black top and field.

Music Concert

We will host a spring music concert on Friday, May 26th from 9am-10am. There will be performances from our CASP Band, Middle School Band and our Upper PACE classes. All families are welcome to attend. Please email Melanie Bourgeault with any questions mbourgeault@bostonpublicschools.org.

ILT

Please join us for ILT on Wednesday, May 24th from 3pm-4:15pm in room 214.

Closing Document

Please click the below link for access to our closing document. ALL staff should read this and be sure to complete any steps that apply to their role. All teachers will need a printed copy so they can submit signatures by 6/28/17.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-xrfPdu9hGoxYHaahRlONjd__4KrRQY1MhkZvr2vy9g/edit

Parking

Just a reminder about parking in marked spots in the Lower School Parking Lot. Last week we needed to call an ambulance it was not able to get into the lot. Please do not park along the driveway entrance, park only in marked spots.

Movie Night

PACE is hosting Family Movie Night Thursday, June 1st 5p-7p in the Curley Auditorium. This event will help raise money for field trips, which provide very important social and community experience for students on the Autism Spectrum. Tickets will be $3 a person and will include the movie ticket, popcorn and water. All students must be accompanied by an adult to this event. We can't tell you the name of the movie, but please join us on the adventure of Princess Poppy and her colorful friends. Please email Liz Spring for further details espring@bostonpublicschools.org

BTU Elections

We'll be voting to elect our 2017-18 BTU Building Reps on Friday, May 26th. If you are interested in becoming a building rep we're taking names until Wednesday, May 24th. Please let any of the current reps know if you are interested in running or have questions about BTU rep duties. We will also vote on that day regarding Open House for next school year. Your Building Reps, Arleta Faulkner, Connie Redden, Kate Davis, MaryClare Moran and Genet Mehari

Support of Colleagues

If you see a colleague in the hall with an escalated student please do the following.

• Try to gain their attention discretely (eye contact if possible) to see if they need help. 
• If they do not see you or do not respond, ask "Do you need anything?"
• Follow their lead to assist. 
• If you are not comfortable doing so then communicate to them you will be contacting the office or an administrator for help. 

Outdoor Recess Time

The weather is getting nicer by the day and we know everyone is eager to get students outside to play. Please keep in mind that there are scheduled times for recess throughout the school and added classes should not be added during those times. We have a schedule to ensure all students are safe. If staff want to request time on the field they can submit a request online at curleyk8.blogspot.com. Please We have recess scheduled from 9:45-10:15. To help maintain safe student to staff ratio can we keep the playground area, from 9:45-10:15 as a PACE 0,1,2 time only?

Fidget Spinner

As an admin team we have heard mixed reviews from many of you about fidget spinners. In some rooms they have become a distraction and in other rooms they have actually helped students focus on their work. We are not banning the spinners at this time. We are asking teachers if you are having difficulty with them in your rooms that you create a systems that works for you and the students. This may mean that students can earn time to use a spinner. Spinners may be kept in central space or used at certain times during the day. Please let an administrator know if you need help creating this plan.

Student Profiles

As we close out the school year, we want to document all the helpful things we have learned about supporting our students by filling out student profiles. These profiles will be extremely helpful as we begin the school year next year. Each teacher will receive the information on their incoming class. Last year, K-2 filled out student profiles. We have used their feedback to make the process less time-consuming and more helpful. Each team can decide to fill out profiles during CPT, or individually. We would like all profiles for K-5 students to be completed by Wednesday, May 31. (6th, 7th, and 8th grade teams, stay tuned for more information!) The link to fill out each profile is below, and an example is attached to this email. https://goo.gl/forms/aJ4z0itZz9f10KVG3
If you have any questions, please reach out to Lindsey Morgan (lim076@mail.harvard.edu), Laurie Ciardi, or Meg Nason. Thank you for all you do!

K-4 Field Day

Field Day will take place on Wednesday, June 21st with a rain date of Thursday, June 22nd. More details will follow and reach out to Mark Righini with any questions or ideas.

New Teacher Developers

We are looking for 5 teachers to support some of our new hires coming on board for next year. We have new teachers in PACE, middle school science, upper elementary, early childhood and middle school math. Click here for the job description and email Katie if you are interested. 

Summer Learning Opportunities

The Office of English Language Learners is offering summer school to all ELL students entering grades 3-8. Please send Waverly a list of students you would like to have attend ASAP. Copies are available in several languages attached are the English and Spanish versions for you to have if you need duplicates. Applications are due no later than this Friday May 19th. Please contact Waverly at wkidd@bostonpublicschools.org with questions.

Summer school information is finally here! Per BPS, there have been some changes this year to the referral process. New this year, there will not be school or grade level seat allocations for these programs, as there have been in the past. Summer Learning Academies, previously referred to as summer school or “Smart Summers,” will provide a mix of academic and enrichment in a 4-6 week program, with a 6-8 hour day to eligible K-8th grade students. Students who need academic (ELA, math, and enrichment) and/or social-emotional support entering the next grade level should be referred for summer programming. To learn more about Summer Learning Academies and student eligibility please review the information below and documents attached to this Staff Blog. A hard copy of these documents will be placed in your mailbox Monday, May 15th.

To refer a student to a Summer Learning Academy please do the following:

TEACHERS:
Please take the time to review your students overall progress this year, and identify those students in need of ELA, math and/or enrichment support during the summer. To ensure that your students receive targeted, high-quality summer learning options, please see the BPS Summer Learning District Offerings for eligibility requirements for each district program. You must recommend a particular program for your student.
Once you have identified students in need of BPS summer programing, you MUST contact the parent to inform them that you are recommending their child to attend a Summer Learning Academy. If a parent is in agreement, please send home the Summer Learning Academies Registration/Consent Form and Program Details (English) or Summer Learning Academies Registration/Consent Form and Program Details (Spanish), and FAQ for Families (hard copies will be placed in your mailbox this week). If a parent does not want their child to attend summer programming, BPS cannot “mandated" that their child attend summer school. Summer Learning Programs are an opportunity to prepare for next year NOT punishment.
Please encourage parents to check out the Summer Learning Academies Options included with the consent form to find all the details about the programs, including dates, times, location, etc.

Returned consent forms MUST be dropped off at the main office by no later than Wednesday, May 31st. Teachers recommending students in K-2 please return your consent forms to Ms. Power (Lower School). Teachers recommending students in grade 3-8 please return your student consent forms to Ms. Vazquez (Upper School).
IMPORTANT: These programs are first come first serve! Do not wait until May 31st to turn in forms. Students who are referred to summer learning programs will receive registration paperwork to be completed and returned to the school only once the consent forms are turned in. Program leaders will be directly responsible for the recruitment of students who are referred by schools. However, it is the responsibility of schools to collaborate with program leaders to ensure referred students return the appropriate paperwork to be enrolled in the program. All documents are located on the Curley K8 Drive in the Guidance folder. If you have any questions, please email Ms. Ward-Jackson (K-4) or Ms. Santos (5-8).

Build BPS Events

The City of Boston and Boston Public Schools are hosting BuildBPS workshops throughout the city during May and June. At each session, teams of parents, students, staff, and other stakeholders will brainstorm investment opportunities in school buildings, using data and priorities from the 10-year educational and facilities master plan. These interactive sessions are designed to generate ideas for repair, renovation, expansion, and building projects to create state-of-the-art school facilities. We hope you will consider attending one of these upcoming sessions and feel free to spread the word to anyone whom you think may be interested. We will be hosting a session at the Curley on Tuesday, May 30th from 5:30pm-8:00pm in the auditorium.

Pathways

Are you interested in seeking further certification? If so, think about applying to one of the BPS Pathways programs. Applications are due on May 26th and email Katie so she can submit a recommendation. Click below for an application:

ESL Pathways

Moderate Disabilities Pathways

Severe Disabilities Pathways

Student Success Survey

The Student Success Team would like to gather your feedback on the new process/model. Please complete the link below during your CPT (by May 28th). This will help us continue to make SST more and more effective. An SST representative will discuss this more at your next CPT. Student Success Team

IEP Progress Reports

Progress Reports will open Tuesday, May 16th and will close at 4pm on June 12th. All progress reports need to completed in SEIMS. Please let Karen or Jessica know if there are any questions or concerns.

Cafe in Room 116

The students in Room 116 have finished a business/entrepreneurship unit in class and have put together a coffee stand to put in practice what they have learned. Please come by and support PACE 6 (room 116 upper school) and buy a cup of coffee for $1.00. Our coffee stand will be open Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday 8:30-10:00. We look forward to serving you!

Retention

Are you thinking about retaining a student for next year? If so, please invite Katie to your team meeting to discuss the student and possible option. All students being retain will need to be submitted by 5/31/17 to Central Office. Please keep in mind that retention is an intervention not a punishment for students. Also complete the following documentation so we can use it as discussion at the meeting. Light's Retention Scale is a researched based tool used to help decide if retention is an appropriate and effective intervention for a student.

7th Grade Parent High School Information Night

The counseling office will hold a presentation for our parents and guardians of 7th grade students on June 1st from 5:30-7 pm. This presentation will cover the basics of the 8th grade to high school transition including the citywide policy, choosing a good fit, and the high school choice form. Flyers will go out this week inviting parents and guardians to attend. Pizza will be served and students are encouraged to attend as well!

School Climate Survey

All Student Climate Surveys are online this year! Homeroom teachers should instruct classes to take surveys at the same time to ensure all students have the opportunity to complete the survey. Please have students complete the survey by May 31st. 
Accessing the Survey

• The Digital Backpack is opens by default on all BPS Chromebooks but students can also take the survey by visiting www.bostonpublicschools.org/backpack and signing in with their BPS Google account. The Climate Survey is the first icon listed at the top.

Snack Change

Starting today (May 2nd), FFVP snack bags will be picked up at the upper school cafeteria and lower school main office on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. 

• All upper school teachers: Please send 1 student to the upper school cafeteria between 9:30 and 10:00 to pick up your snack bag and return any FFVP reusable bags you may have from last week. 
• Lower school teachers: Grades 2-3, please send 1 student to the lower school main office between 9:30 and 10:00 to pick up your snack bag and return any FFVP reusable bags you may have from the Fall. For 1st grade and under, the snack bag will be delivered to your classroom. 

SUPPORT THE CURLEY K-8 LIBRARY…AND GET CAR SERVICE FROM MORRISON’S AUTO-RITE

Morrison’s Auto-Rite (475 Centre Street, Jamaica Plain) is offering car maintenance services for FREE with a small donation to the Curley Library (the total cost of the car services far exceed the donation!!!) Bring a check or money order to Morrison’s Auto-Rite made out to the Friend's of the Curley Fund for $95 and Morrison’s Auto-Rite will provide you with the following services and items:

• Free comprehensive multi-point inspection (check over your car’s health) including: 
• Free Oil Change (up to a $39.95 value). NOTE: some cars have additional charges for synthetic oil 
• Rotate tires 
• Balance two front tires (while doing rotation) 
• Free front wiper blades (most cars); no appointment needed for wiper blade install 
• Second free oil change (up to a $39.95 value) 
• Upgraded warranty on repair work done by Morrison’s Auto Rite to 2 years or 24,000 miles, whichever comes first. (There are a few exceptions for normal wear items, i.e. tires) 
• Unlimited tire pressure adjusting, no appointment needed 
• Unlimited fluid level checks, no appointment needed 

TOTAL APPROXIMATE VALUE (SAVINGS) $295!

You must present the check in the amount of $95, made out to Friends of the Curley Library Fund, in person to Morrison’s Autorite to be eligible for these services! No credit cards, please!S

BTU Vote

Both paras and teachers voted to convert afternoon hours of PD into summer hours. Teachers will report for PD on Wednesday, August 30th and Thursday August 31st for PD from 8am-3pm. Paras will report on Wednesday, August 30th from 8:00am-2:00pm.

Save the Date

Please reserve Friday, June 2nd for our End-of-the-Year and Retirement Party.

Place: Florian Hall

Time: 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Appetizers, Buffet, Music, Dance, Celebrations!

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

• June 1st --- Inclusion