Please join other parents once again at the School Committee meeting this week on Wednesday, February 15, at 26 Court Street. The public portion of the meeting will begin at 5:30 pm. Please note the earlier start time. You do not have to arrive exactly at 5:30 pm, but PLEASE NOTE: the public comment period will begin promptly at 6:30 pm. The Committee will be in private, executive session from 5 pm to 5:30 pm.

This time, Kieran Fitzgibbon, parent of a K2 student, will deliver a statement on behalf of the Curley parents during the public comment period.  The rest of us (in our Curley shirts) will stand in solidarity behind him as he raises concerns about the impact of the proposed budget cuts on all of our children. We will be joined on Wednesday by our City Councillor Matt O’Malley. Scores of parents have already gone to the two previous meetings, one on January 18, and the second on February 15. Please come – we really want to fill the room and demonstrate the strength of our parent community.

New Rules for Public Comment and Conduct were approved at the last school committee meeting, which included this change to the start time of the public comment period.

If you need a Curley shirt, one may be available for purchase at the meeting.

We look forward to seeing you and having another strong turnout this week. Our presence is being noted well outside of the walls of Winter Chambers at Court Street. Let’s keep raising our voices as committed advocates for our children and school!

Time to clean your book shelves!

The SPC will be hosting our first annual used book sale on Thursday, April 12 at 6 p.m., the same night as the Art Show.

The money we raise will help fund our Arts, Music and Science programs.

We need your books:  Books for adults, books for kids. picture books, board books, chapter books, books in Spanish. We want them all! (But, please no damaged books.)

The first drop off date for donations is next Wednesday, February 15. Books can be dropped off at the main entrance on Centre Street from 8-9:30 a.m. and 2-2:45 p.m.

Volunteers will be needed to receive donations, sort books and man the sale. If you are interested in helping, please contact Jill Lazer.

Curley parents and guardians are cordially invited to our monthly Principal’s Breakfast on Wednesday, February 15, 2012, 8:45 a.m. in the Upper School Library.

Breakfast will be followed by a presentation on how to help your child with:

• Math homework
• Test taking strategies to help students to be more successful on their MCAS.

Presented by Laurie Speranzo, Math Coach. Ms. Leida Arroyo, Curley teacher will be available to work with parents in Spanish

Estan cordialmente invitados a nuestro desayuno mensual con el Principal. Después del desayuno habrá una presentación sobre cómo ayudar a su hijo/hija con:

• Las asignaciones de Matemáticas
• Les enseňaran estrategías para ayudar a los estudiantes para que tengan éxito tomando los examenes del MCAS

Presentado por:
Laurie Speranzo, Entrenadora de Matematica de Maestros
La Sra. Leida Arroyo, maestro de la escuela Curley estara disponible para trabajar con los padres que hablan español

Miércoles, 15 de febrero, 2012
8:45 a.m.
En la Biblioteca de la Escuela Intermedia

We can give books to our school by simply reading online!

We Give Books’ Read for My School is our chance to highlight the importance of supporting our schools and the essential role that reading and school libraries play in the lives of our children.

Read for My School starts February 14, 2012! Register now at www.wegivebooks.org

1. Visit the site and sign up to read on behalf of the Read for My School Campaign.
2. Enter Curley K-8 School on the registration form so that they can track the number of books our school earns.
3. Chose a great children’s book and read!  Be sure to click “Give a Book” at the end of the story to be counted toward our school’s reading total.
4. Spread the word!

Contact K-1 teacher Laura Shea if you have more questions.

DONE LIBROS PARA NUESRA ESCUELA SIMPLEMENTE LEYENDO POR MEDIO DEL INTERNET

NOSOTROS DAMOS LIBROS. Leyendo para nuestra Escuela tenemos que demonstrar la importancia de apoyar nuestras escuelas sobre la importancia que tiene la lectura y la bibliotecas en la vida de nuesstros niňos.

Juntos, leeremos de NOSOTROS DAMOS LIBROS, BIBLIOTECA DIGITAL de libros clasicos para niños y contribuya con una donación sobre 150,000 libros a las escuelas elementarias a travás de de la nación incluyendo nuestra escuela.

Leyendo para nuestra Escuela empiez el 14 DE FEBRERO, 2012. Registrese ahora al www.wegivebooks.org.

Póngase en contacto K-1 maestra Laura Shea si usted tiene más preguntas.

A reminder that another SPC budget planning meeting will be held on Wednesday, February 8, 2012 at 6:00 pm in the upper school library. Please enter via the side CASP entrance on Centre Street by Spring Park Avenue. Matt O’Malley, City Councilor for District 6, will be attending. NOTE: This is not a regular SPC meeting. There will be NO childcare or dinner provided. 

A large number of Curley community members again attended the Boston School Committee meeting for a second time this year on Wednesday, February 1st. Parents had spoken at the previous meeting on January 18th as well. Among the items presented during the meeting included the preliminary 2012-2013 budget overview by the BPS CFO John McDonough.

Once again, the Curley contingent, all wearing their distinctive black, yellow and green T-shirts stood in silence as one parent, Heshan Berents-Weeramuni, read a prepared statement during the general public comment period. They stood in silent solidarity a second time while Mather Elementary parents Sherman Zemmler Wu and Andy Berg spoke. The Mather is also facing budget cuts.

The video of last night’s meeting is available for you to watch here:
http://www.cityofboston.gov/cable/video_library.asp?id=2418

Some highlights of the above video:

• Preliminary budget overview presentation by John McDonough, CFO of BPS – 1 hour 28 minute mark
• School Committee member John Barros’ favorable statement on the Curley’s use of signs and general demeanor at the last meeting – 1 hour 25 minute mark
• Curley parent Heshan Berents-Weeramuni’s statement on the proposed budget on the Curley K-8 – 3 hour 3 minute mark
• Mather parent Sherman Zemler Wu’s statement of proposed budget on the Mather – 3 hour 7 minute mark

Statements made at the School Committee meetings so far:

• February 1, 2012 statement to the Boston School Committee
  (English version)
• February 1, 2012 statement to the Boston School Committee
  (Spanish version)
  
• January 18, 2012 statement to the Boston School Committee
  (English version)
• January 18, 2012 statement to the Boston School Committee
  (Spanish version)
  

To learn more and get involved in the continuing efforts, please see our outreach packet and contact information sheet below:

• Outreach Packet for calls, emails and letters (English and Spanish)
• Contact Information for Mayor, City Councillors, BPS Officials and School Committee

If you are nteresting in speaking at future School Committee meetings, or want more information, please contact Lindsey Weeramuni or Carrie Fletcher.

On Tuesday, January 31, 2012, a second lobbying planning meeting was held at the home of Carrie Fletcher. We were joined by City Councilor John Connolly, who shared information on the school budget process as he experiences it. He spent well over an hour with us listening to our concerns and answering our questions.

After he left, the parents decided to return to the School Committee meetings and resume our work lobbying for a fair budget for the Curley and all of BPS. Minutes from the meeting can be found below:

Minutes of the SPC budget planning meeting – January 31, 2012

Please come to the School Committee meeting tomorrow night – Wednesday, February 1 at 6:00pm at 26 Court St. As we did at the prior meeting, one Curley parent (this week it’s Heshan Weeramuni) will deliver a statement during the public comment period.  The rest of us (in our Curley shirts) will stand in solidarity behind him as he raises concerns about the impact of the proposed budget cuts on all of our children.  Please come – we really want to fill the room and demonstrate the strength of our parent community.

It’s fine you can’t arrive right at 6:00pm – the public comment period is one of the last items on the agenda.  It would be good to arrive by 7:30pm, just in case the meeting actually ends at 8:00pm as scheduled.

OUR REGULARLY SCHEDULE PARENTS’ COUNCIL MEETING IS CANCELLED SO THAT PEOPLE CAN  ATTEND THE SCHOOL COMMITTEE MEETING INSTEAD.

Dear Friends,

On January 26, 2012 a meeting was held between Curley folks and BPS administrators regarding next year’s budget.

Detailed notes of the meeting can be found here.

Principal Jeffrey Slater, Assistant Principal David Diaz, and we attended on behalf of our school. BPS Chief Financial Officer John McDonough and several Assistant Superintendents were also present.

We learned the history of the budget process from the time of the school merger to today. It was sobering. Encouragingly, the BPS representatives stated their wish to continue to talk with us and work on a way forward. There may be opportunities to increase our funding in very specific categories based on the district’s own enrollment data. Ideas on what we might do next are in the notes.

It is our recommendation that we revise our strategy going forward. Our activities to date have been focused solely on the Curley. While that focus should continue, what concerns many of us, and what was made clear yesterday, is that the funding crisis is city-wide. There is much we can do to still have an impact on how education is prioritized in Boston.

The planning meeting on Tuesday, January 31st at Carrie Fletcher’s house will still take place (email her here for directions). We can pause to review our progress, share what we’ve learned and decide as a community “what’s next,” including whether to or how to continue lobbying the School Committee on this topic.

City Councilor John Connolly has reached out requesting to meet with us, so he will attend a portion of the evening.

February’s School Parent Council meeting will be held on Wednesday, February 1st at 6:00 pm in the Upper School Library as regularly scheduled. Childcare and food will be available as usual.

Thank you everyone for all of your calls, letters and emails. We succeeded in getting the school committee’s attention and respect, and we have a seat at the table to help determine the future of our school.

If anyone has questions, please feel free to contact either of us.

Sincerely,
Lindsey Weeramuni and Carrie Fletcher

Two quick reminders for this week: (a) we still have 2 Boston Marathon numbers, and (b) this Thursday’s MFABs evening, the first of 2012.

Boston Marathon Numbers

We still have two 2012 Boston Marathon numbers! Any runner who was unable to secure a starting number still can. We hope to receive a donation of $2,500 for each number. Runners are responsible for their own registration with the BAA. Remember, the amounts raised from both numbers directly fund our music and science programs. Please email Susan Elsbree.

MFABs is this Thursday

Curley moms, a reminder that the first MFABS evening of 2012 (Mamas, Friendship and Beverages for Survival) is this Thursday.

Join other Curley moms at Bella Luna/Milky Way at 7:30 pm for a casual evening of beverages and mama-ship. Arrive whenever you can (it’s a “soft” start-time), and leave whenever you need to. In case you need your memory jogged, MFABS is a chance for mamas in the Curley K-8 community — and beyond — to get together for a drink and a chat. It’s just for fun; there are no dads, kids, or agendas other than to relax, vent, share, and otherwise take a load off our far-too-busy minds and souls. PLEASE SHARE THIS INVITE with any moms who might enjoy a night out! For more information, contact Lindsey Weeramuni.

Dads, one of us should step up to plan something similar…

By the way… show up half and hour early at 7 pm instead, and you can help Jessica Ormsby and Molly Mariano plan the 5th Annual Canary Square Silent Auction too!