Shout Outs
Shout out to all staff! Tomorrow marks the 100th Day of School this year! Everyone has been working incredibly hard and our students are making progress every day! Thank you for your tireless work on behalf of all our students!
Shout out to Curley staff who previously taught Evan Thomson (BLS) and Angel Tejeda (Brighton High). The families reached out to thank the Curley for their support in educating these boys both of whom received the prestigious Posse Scholarship to college next year. Please read the excerpt from the parent: The Posse is a 27-year-old program that provides full scholarships to inner-city kids with “extraordinary academic and leadership potential”. This year’s Bucknell Posse comprises 10 kids out of 1,400 Greater Boston applicants. (There are Posses of Boston kids going to Hamilton, Union, Bryn Mawr, Dennison and Centre Colleges as well.) Learning lessons:
- Glow with Curley Pride - I’m sure it is a rare feat that the same K-8 school produces two Posse Scholars in the same year;
- Credit the BPS - you don’t have to go to BLS, or one of the other exam schools, to be a high achiever and be recognized as such; and
- Parents - Don’t forget to check out the Posse program for your kids late in their junior year. It is awe-inspiring.
Shout out to Sara Silverstein, Lindsey Wright, Kate Davis, Traka Smith and Laura Shea for opening their classrooms to UP Academy Holland Charter School this morning. The school heard positive things about our SAR program and asked to come and observe. They also wanted to see some of the inclusion work we have done once they arrived. The visitors raved about this school from the bright cheery hallways that celebrated student work, positive interactions between adults and students, level or rigor in classrooms, well behaved children and clear Curley School Pride (Curley Cares). UP Teachers left with many ideas they wanted to bring back and implement in their school. Thank you for opening your classrooms the day after break and for helping other schools learn!
ANet Session 3
The final ANet assessment will begin next week for students. The purpose of this testing plan is to prepare students for PARCC both in terms of clarifying their small group accommodations as well as building their stamina for testing on days back to back. Please email all questions, concerns and suggestions to Adrian Ward-Jackson.
- A3 Testing Schedule
- Tues. March 1st, Grade 6 ELA, 9:40am-12:00pm
- Tues. March 1st, Grades 7-8 ELA, 9:00am- 11:25am
- Wed. March 2nd, Grade 6 Math, 9:40am-12:00pm
- Wed. March 2nd, Grades 7-8 Math, 9:00am- 11:25am
- Tues. March 8th, Grades 3-5 ELA, Times TBD
- Wed. March 9th, Grades 3-5 Math, Times TBD
- Tues. March 15th, Grade 2 Math, Times TBD
PARCC
The PARCC schedule will be posted tomorrow evening. This will be a first draft and we are seeking feedback from staff on how to improve it. Please email David Diaz with all questions, suggestions and concerns.Whole Staff PD & Share
This Thursday, February 25th we will have whole staff PD from 3:00pm-4:00pm in the auditorium. This PD is for all staff! Shanika Houlder from the BTU is coming at 4pm to briefly talk about the budget crisis and contract negotiations. She is asking BTU members to remain for just 5 minutes after PD. She will also talk about things more in depth at the next Faculty Senate Meeting in March.Submit a Staff Curley Cares Award
During PD, we will have a staff share. This our chance to recognize and thank those people whose contributions (big OR small) demonstrate caring and support for our staff, our students, and our school. If you'd like to give an award to a colleague please click on this link to fill out the form. Submissions are due by 4:00pm Wednesday, February 24 - Thanks!Lost and Found
Please remind students to check the lost and found outside of the nurse's office. There are many winter coats in there now and it will be emptied at the end of this month.ILT
Please join us on Wednesday from 3:00pm-4:15pm for ILT in Room 111.Curley Silent Auction
The Curley School Parent Council (SPC) will be hosting their Annual Silent Auction at Canary Square on Tuesday, March 29th and would like to extend an invite to all staff and their friends and family. If you are interested in donating a prize to the auction please contact Molly Brigham by February 22nd at mollykbrigham@gmail.com. In the past some staff have donated an afternoon with their teacher to get an ice cream at JP Licks, Principal for the Day, lunch with your teacher, etc... The SPC is open to any of your ideas and really appreciates your time (and the students love the prizes). The money raised from the Silent Auction goes to directly supporting our school such as CMCB, BalletROX, Arts supplies, science supplies, staff luncheon, Chromebooks etc...Uniform Survey
Our yearly uniform surveys will go home with students tomorrow in both Spanish and English. We are asking staff to collect these forms and encourage students to return them. We are also asking staff to complete these forms for feedback either on paper or online http://goo.gl/forms/YVgo87NEZy. Please bring all completed forms to Madeline or Kathy by 3/3/16.Teach Plus Courses
Teach Plus courses are returning this spring and we strongly encourage staff to participate. The courses being offered at the Curley specifically focus on areas we are discussing with the ILT and align with our school goals and the Instructional Focus (Teachers will vary demands and resources to optimize challenge in writing task to support students in expressing a clear, organized idea).Curley staff will be given preference for seats in courses offered at our school and we hope you take advantage of this benefit - either individually or as a team. Course offerings are listed below; please visit the Teach Plus website for course descriptions (click here to learn more and/or register).
Courses at the Curley K-8 in Jamaica Plain
Dates: Thursdays from 4:30pm - 7:30pm, March 10, March 24, March 31, April 7, and April 14. Dinner provided.- Harnessing the Power of Centers and Student Choice in the Early Childhood Classroom
- UDL: Varying Demands and Optimizing Challenge (Grades 1-5)
- Empowering Students to Speak: Text Based Discussions and Debates in the Secondary Classroom
- Breaking Down the Standards for Mathematical Practice to Make the Shift (Grades 5-8)
- Strategies for supporting English Language Learners and Special Education Students in Writing
- Critical Thinking and Writing Through Non-Fiction Literature: A Methods and Materials-Sharing Course
Courses at the Murphy K-8 in Dorchester
Dates: Tuesdays from 4:30pm - 7:30pm, March 8, March 15, March 22, March 29, and April 5. Dinner provided.- Effectively Teaching English Language Learners
- Determining Student Mastery of Math Content Standards (Grades 3-8)
- Revitalizing ELA Instruction Through Cognitively Demanding Tasks (Grades 3-8)
- Implementing Project-Based Work and CCSS in the Early Childhood Classroom
- Applying the Common Core to Diverse Learners: Differentiating to Include All Students
Courses at the Orchard Gardens K-8 Pilot in Roxbury
Dates: TBD starting the week of March 7, 4:30pm - 7:30pm, Dinner provided.- Making Students Rational - Helping Students Develop Robust Understanding of Fractions (Grades 3-8)
- Implementing Cognitively Demanding Math Tasks in the Secondary Classroom
- Please contact Sasha Zuflacht, Massachusetts Program and Policy Coordinator, at szuflacht@teachplus.org with any questions.
- If you're interested in facilitating a course in May, please click here to apply.
