The 12th Annual Curley Plant Sale is THIS Saturday, April 28th from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. As usual, it will be held in the parking lot across from the school.

Volunteers are still needed to man the cashbox, help with sales and set up. You do not need to be a green thumb to help with this fun event.

If you cannot make the sale there are other ways to help. We need ladders and calculators. We also need flyers distributed in your neighborhood and bake sale donations.

Please fill out the doodle poll (http://doodle.com/7wp6ffib57brtchf) if you can help/contribute. Please contact Kristin at kjurkoic@yahoo.com with any questions.

Remember to then walk across Centre Street to the front of the school and visit the 2nd Annual Yard Sale. Also to be held this Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., proceeds from the Yard Sale will benefit the Washington, DC 8th grade trip.

Please bring in gently used clothing, household items, toys, etc., and contact Mr. Cardoso to volunteer at jcardoso@boston.k12.ma.us.

The 5th Annual Art Show will be this Thursday, April 12th from 5:30 – 8:00 p.m. Please use the Pershing Road bridge entrance. There will be a host of different things to experience:

• Performances by Ms. Taylor Knight and her dance students.
• Mr. Flanagan’s Middle School music students.
• Visual art by students from K-1 all the way to 8th grade. Proceeds of the 8th grade artwork sale will help fund the annual Washington, D.C. trip .
• Rally Middle School photo exhibit.
• Works by students of C.A.S.P., the Curley After School Program.
• Gently used Curley book sale.
• Special art exhibit from our faculty and staff, and our own Curley community artists.
• Delicious food will be served to support the Curley arts and science programs.

Cathy Drakes’ beautiful flyer can be downloaded here to remind you.

Volunteers Needed for Art Show

The Curley arts team are looking for some help before, during ,and after the Arts Showcase on Thursday, April 12th.

• 3:00-5:30 to help with set up
• 5:30-8:00 to help with arts activities
• 8:00-8:30 to help with clean up

If you can only help for part of the time that is fine as well. Help with the art making activities for an hour or so would be greatly appreciated!

Volunteers are also needed for the Book Sale – details are here.

Calling Curley Artists and Crafters

Parents, Guardians, Faculty, and Staff of the Curley School: It’s time to showcase YOUR artistic side. The Annual Spring Arts Showcase on APRIL 12th will offer a special exhibit section open to the greater Curley community. So don’t wait! Show your stuff!

• Staff: Please drop off your work with Anna Youman or Cathy Drakes any time during the school day from now until April 11.
• Parents: Please drop off your work before school (8-8:30am) in Ms. Youman’s room any time from now until April 11.

If you have work to contribute, but can’t make these drop off times, please contact Joe Wardwell (Wardwell@brandeis.edu). The final deadline is Wednesday, April 11 at 3 p.m.

Need reminding? Download this striking flyer designed by parent Dave Hamilton.

Volunteers are needed to help set up and run the Used Book Sale on Thursday, April 12 (same night as the Art Show). If you can help, please sign up on the Doodle poll. We have tons of great books so please spread the word. All kids books are 50 cents! We also have a great selection of adult fiction, biographies, cookbooks and more!

Boston’s public school district is home to one of the first Center for Green Schools Fellows:  sustainability coordinator Phoebe Beierle is one of only two Fellows currently active in the United States!  Phoebe will work within the district for three years, bringing together faculty, administration, facilities staff, teachers, and students to advance whole-district sustainability initiatives.   Phoebe will join the Curley community this Wednesday evening at 6pm as part of our parents’ council meeting to talk about how we can “green” our school.  (Please check out Phoebe’s bio at the end of this article).  Parents and teachers welcome!

The meeting will be in the Upper School Library.  Please enter at the Centre St. doors; the library is upstairs.  As usual food, childcare, and Spanish translation will be provided.  The meeting runs from 6-8pm (Phoebe’s presentation will be from 6-7pm).   Our agenda topics include the following:

• “Greening the Curley” – presentation by Phoebe Beierle, BPS Green Schools Fellow
• BPS Budget Update – What’s Next? (with guest speaker Lallie Lloyd, a public advocate who focuses on public education)
• Info re: Welcoming Next Year’s New Families
• Fundraising Updates (Recent Events)
• Curley SPC Budget Update
• School Site Council Update
• Upcoming Events:
  • Arts Showcase
  • Used Book Sale
  • Spring Clean-Up
  • Family Day/Curley Cookout

Phoebe Beierle brings diverse work experience in the areas of green building, renewable energy, corporate social responsibility and non-profit management to her role as the Green Schools Fellow for Boston Public Schools. At both the Massachusetts Renewable Energy Trust (RET) and The Green Roundtable, she fostered strategic program partnerships and supported the design, construction, certification, curriculum implementation and financing policies of green schools within Massachusetts. While at the RET, she served as a green champion for districts looking to build green through the MA Green Schools Initiative, an incentive program to fund green building, renewable energy and green curriculum projects at K-12 public schools. As the head of this initiative, she worked hand-in-hand with School Building Committees and facilities staff and reviewed a dozen project submissions for compliance with LEED and MA-CHPS guidelines. Phoebe is a Board member of the MA USGBC Chapter and an active participant on the Green Schools Committee. She holds a BA in Environmental Studies and Psychology from Oberlin College.

Please see attached flyer for meeting information and agenda:

BPS_flyer_mar29_all

Hello Friends,

March 28th marks the end of the BPS Budget Season. As we approach the final School Committee vote on what could be our funding allocation for the 2012-13 school year, I am writing to express my gratitude to the Curley community.

We came together to lobby for our children and all of the students of BPS. Some folks did things that were very public, while others were supportive behind the scenes, but I wish to thank everyone who had a hand in this. Whether you wrote letters, testified in front of School Committee, rallied at Court Street, made or appeared in our video, cared for your children while your partner went to endless meetings, or agreed to babysit others’ kids, you have my appreciation. Thank you to the teachers and staff who encouraged us to keep going, provided us with data, and attended meetings in solidarity. Thank you to the members of our community outside the school’s walls who shared their support, advice and knowledge. Thank you John McDonough, Seth Racine, and Dominic Amara for attending our Silent Auction Fundraiser. Lastly, thank you to Mr. Slater for putting up with this funky bunch of activist-parents.

What began last December at the School Site Council as an idea of “opting out” has resulted in a parent community embarking on a process of “opting in.” The parent members of the SSC chose to opt out of setting priorities for next year’s budget as an act of protest. Instead, we refocused our energy towards advocating for our school; a decision to opt in to the official process to see what we could learn and how we might influence the outcome.

We chose to engage with the School Committee and Dr. Johnson and her team to learn all we could about our circumstances and how the Curley got to where it is today. More importantly, we tried to see whether we could impact the outcome of our school’s future. This opened our eyes to the challenges and realities of funding for all schools in BPS, so we began to think in terms of shaping the conversation from a city-wide perspective. We had both set-backs and small victories, and our work is not over. One tangible victory, however, is that when we asked to be heard and taken seriously, we were. Our questions were answered (sometimes many times) with patience and respect. Our stories were listened to with compassion. And our feedback was received as the parent-partners we have chosen to be.

Tomorrow night does not mark the end of our work. Rather, consider it the first phase in our ongoing dialogue with the School Committee, Dr. Johnson, and her team to shape a future for the children of BPS that is as fair and equitable as it can possibly be. If past history is an indicator of what’s to come, the budget will be approved tomorrow night and then delivered to the City Council in April for review and approval on June 30th. What is different this year, however, is how we have changed the conversation. Foundation funding has been reexamined, and we introduced a perspective about how students are supported in a way that is thoughtful and based in real-life experience.

I look forward to seeing as many of you in person as possible tomorrow night at 6 p.m. at 26 Court Street. Wear your Curley shirts, show your Curley Pride, and stand in silent solidarity as Dan Barcan reads the last piece of testimony for the budget season. We’ve done so much to be proud of, and I, for one, am humbled to call myself a Curley Mama.

Sincerely,
Lindsey Weeramuni

P.S. If you can stand just one more night out, join us at Bella Luna on Thursday, March 29th, 7:30 pm, for an informal gathering to celebrate our work. Consider it P (for parent)-FABS!

Three music, science and arts events are on the near horizon, and four other events are also this week!

“Music and Me” – Our Spring Music Concert

This Friday, March 30th, in partnership with the Community Music Center of Boston, the Curley and the Curley SPC invite you to attend our spring concert, “Music and Me” from 10 – 11 a.m. The concert will feature students from K-1 through 3rd grade, and there will be some 4th grade students also performing. The concert will be held in the Upper School Auditorium. If your child is within these grades, please have them dress in the school uniform or wear a white top and blue pants/skirt.

A small number of parent volunteers are also needed before and during the concert. Help is needed to set up the risers in the auditorium, and to help bring the Kindergarten grades to the concert. If you are able to help, please contact, Lisa Marie Garver or Jeff Ward.

5th Annual Night at the Museum of Science

A reminder that this Friday, March 30th is also when our very popular 5th Annual Night at the Museum of Science event will take place. The event will last from 5:00 – 9:00 pm. The event is hosted by the science department and school parent council.

Registration for the event is required and should have come home with your child. The application form was also available online. The fun filled evening costs only $15 entrance for up to 7 children. The registration deadline has passed, but please contact the family center if you have questions.

5th Annual Curley K-8 Art Show

Also celebrating a 5th anniversary is our Curley K-8 Art Show. This year, the event will be held on Thursday, April 12th from 5:30 – 8:00 p.m. Please use the Pershing Road bridge entrance. There will be a host of different things to experience:

• Performances by Ms. Taylor Knight and her dance students.
• Mr. Flanagan’s Middle School music students.
• Visual art by students from K-1 all the way to 8th grade. Proceeds of the 8th grade artwork sale will help fund the annual Washington, D.C. trip .
• Rally Middle School photo exhibit.
• Works by students of C.A.S.P., the Curley After School Program.
• Gently used Curley book sale (book drop off is happening this Wednesday).
• Special art exhibit from our faculty and staff, and our own Curley community artists.
• Delicious food will be served to support the Curley arts and science programs.

1. This Wednesday, March 28th, a host of parents are planning to attend the public comment period of the Boston School Committee meeting, some possibly with their kids. This will be the last School Committee meeting during this year’s budget process. Following the comment period the School Committee will vote on the proposed budget. Parent Dan Barcan is slated to speak, and will become the 13th Curley parent to speak on our behalf this year. During each statement, other Curley parents have stood in silent solidarity in their Curley shirts. Please try to come and support Dan at this last meeting. The meeting begins at 6 p.m. and the public comment period begins at 6:30 p.m. and last for an hour, though it may be done sooner. The meeting again takes place at 26 Court Street. For more information, contact Lindsey Weeramuni. Remember to wear your Curley shirt!
2. This Thursday, March 29th from 8:45 to 10 am is our monthly Principal’s Breakfast. Following the breakfast, there will be an important workshop on planning for college. It’s never too early to think about college – and it is not too late to start planning and saving! The workshop will provide you with some valuable information about how you and your child can prepare academically AND financially for college. The presentation will be given by Lena Eisen from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. For more information, please contact our Parent Coordinator, Betty Villalba-Alvarado.
3. The night of Thursday, March 30th sees a favorite among Curley moms – MFABS (Mamas, Friendship and Beverages for Survival). 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. It recurs on the last Thursday of each month during school term. 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… - Ed.]
4. Finally, Principal Slater and the BPS would like to invite parents to discuss the creation of a new school assignment system. Several community meetings are slated for this spring, the latest of which are 4 simultaneous meetings happening all over Boston this Saturday, March 31st. Click here to learn more about the meetings.

REMINDER: This Wednesday, March 28, 8-9:30 a.m. will be the last drop off day for donations for the Curley Used Book Sale. Please bring books to the Centre St. entrance; someone will be there to receive your donation. If you have donations and cannot make this date, please contact Jill Lazer (jmlazer@yahoo.com) to make arrangements. We also need volunteers to help with the sale. Please sign up on the Doodle poll if you are interested. The sale will be held the same night as the Art Show — Thursday, April 12.

Parents Jessica Ormsby (above, left) and Lisa Kincade (above, right) both spoke at the most recent Boston School Committee meeting on behalf of the Curley. Jessica, who became the 11th Curley parent to address the Committee this year, spoke during the open Budget Hearing. Lisa, the 12th Curley parent before the committee this year, then spoke during the public comment period of the regular meeting that followed. Each time a large number of Curley parents stood in silent solidarity, each wearing their Curley shirts, and each time were joined by Mather parent Andy Berg.

Jessica presented to the School Committee in detail the same proposals parents discussed with BPS Assistant CFO Seth Racine on Tuesday, March 20. She also spoke about her own experiences as a parent of a K2 child at the Curley who is trying to remain committed to BPS despite the proposed budget cuts.

Mather parent Andrew Berg delivering his statement on proposed budget cuts faced by the Mather next year. He graciously thanked the BPS for averting some, though not all, of the cuts the school faces.

Lisa spoke equally passionately about her fears of what the proposed budget cuts would mean for her 7th grade son Willie, who suffers from autism. She believes the cuts may lead Willie to regress, losing the progress he has made at the Curley. The Curley is Willie’s seventh school, and since being here, he has made the Honor Roll both terms and has earned the Principal’s Award. Willie had to move to the Curley from his previous school, Mildred Ave., because of budget cuts.

Video of the meeting is available on the City of Boston’s site here:

http://www.cityofboston.gov/cable/video_library.asp?id=2488

• Mather parent Andrew Berg’s eloquent statement on their school may be heard at the 11 minute mark.
• Jessica’s statement is at the 14 minute mark.
• BPS Assistant CFO Seth Racine’s comments to the Committee about the Curley are at the 21 minute mark.
• Superintendent Carol Johnson also made some very profound remarks (at the 41 minute mark) on funding levels district wide, noting that “I am not suggesting that the budget that we bring forward is adequate for all we want to do.” Her full remarks on the subject are well worth listening to. Committee member Mary Tamer later took this issue up as well at the 56 minute mark, asking how the district in the future can really define what is meant by “adequate” in a constructive manner.
• Lisa’s statement is at the 1 hour 20 minute mark.

Last School Committee Meeting is this Wednesday

The last School Committee meeting of this year’s budget cycle is this Wednesday at 6 p.m. where a formal vote on next year’s budget will taken. After that, discussions will move to the City Council. Matt O’Malley, Felix Arroyo and John Connolly has also received our presentation outlining our proposals. We look forward to discussing them with each Councilor as they consider the budget between mid April and the end of June.

In the meantime, on Wednesday, our final School Committee speaker will be parent Dan Barcan. Please try to come and support him at this last meeting. The meeting begins at 6 p.m. and the public comment period begins at 6:30 p.m. and last for an hour though it may be done sooner. The meeting again takes place at 26 Court Street. Remember to wear your Curley shirt!

Past Statements to School Committee

All statements we’ve made to the School Committee so far, beginning with Lisa and Jessica’s statements, are listed below:

• March 21, 2012 statement to the Boston School Committee (Kincade – English)
• March 21, 2012 statement to the Boston School Committee (Ormsby – English)
• March 12, 2012 statement to the Boston School Committee (English)
• March 7, 2012 statement to the Boston School Committee (bilingual)
• February 28, 2012 statement to the Boston School Committee (bilingual)
• February 15, 2012 statement to the Boston School Committee (bilingual)
• 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)