The Curtis Connection
March 31, 2023
READ ALL ABOUT IT!
- Mr. Mela's Message
- Mark This on Your Calendar
- ECMS MCAS Schedule Spring 2023
- Curtis Is Going to Washington in 32 Days!
- Reminders from the Office Staff
- Sudbury Police Youth Academy
- Curtis Ultimate Frisbee
ECMS 2023 Yearbook
- A Message from the ECMS Health Office
- Curtis Schedule
- Lunch Menu for 4/3/23-4/6/23
- Interested in Substituting as a School Nurse?
- Local Resources and Helpful Information
- CPO News
- For Peter Noyes Families
- Saturday, April 22nd
- Curtis Core Values/Contact Us
MR. MELA'S MESSAGE
Dear Parents and Guardians:
To proactively address the mental health and well-being of Curtis students, the school counselors will be screening 7th and 8th-grade students for depression and suicide in the coming days. Students will complete the Brief Screen for Adolescent Depression (BSAD) during the Health classes or Team block.
The Curtis mental health team will review the results of the screen and provide immediate follow-up for students whose scores indicate a risk of depression and/or suicide ideation. Parents and guardians will be notified if the assessment indicates any risk for their child.
The objectives of these efforts include:
Educating students about the signs and symptoms of depression and suicide ideation.
Helping our students understand that depression is a treatable illness.
Encouraging our students to reach out to trusted adults when they need help or are concerned about a peer’s well-being.
Identifying students who may be at-risk for mental health concerns.
Partnering with families to coordinate appropriate intervention plans.
Sudbury youth health data collected from the 2021 MetroWest Adolescent Health Survey show that among Curtis students:
17% of 7th and 8th graders reported having depressive symptoms in the past 12 months
13% reported having considered suicide during their lifetime
These statistics are comparable to regional and national data. The seriousness of these health issues requires open discussion, prevention education, health screens that aim to identify at-risk students, and collaborative efforts to coordinate appropriate support. The Sudbury Public Schools staff are committed to partnering with families to meet the diverse needs of all of our students.
If you do NOT want your child to participate in the depression and suicide risk screening, please email Angela Menke, Assistant Principal, or call her at 978-443-1071, ext. 7120.
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MCAS started this week. Kudos to the 8th grade students who worked incredibly hard the last two days. Sixth grade students begin their testing next week and seventh grade students will begin the following week. The testing schedule can be found below.
In the spirit of good health and getting your child ready to do their best on the assessment, here are a few tips for success:
Encourage your child to have a positive mindset. While the testing may be challenging, emphasize that all we want is for students to do their best work.
Encourage your child to go to bed early the night before each test.
Eat a healthy breakfast and bring a snack for the day.
Arrive to school on time, which means being seated in homeroom by 8:30 am.
If your child wears eyeglasses, make sure they bring them to school.
If your child is ill, please keep them home. Make-up dates are scheduled.
Students should not wear a smartwatch (e.g., Apple watch, fitbit, Garmin) to school.
AND
All students should be sure to charge their chromebooks the night before each of their tests.
Teachers will not assign homework on the nights preceding MCAS tests. We hope this allows students to relax in the evening and rest up for the next school day.
In recognition of Passover and Easter, no homework will be assigned before Passover and over the weekend.
Take care,
Jeff
Tuesday, April 4 - 7:00 p.m. DC Parent Orientation Part II
Friday, April 7 - No School - Good Friday
Wednesday, April 12 - 12:45 Early Release
Monday, April 17 - Patriots' Day - No School
Tuesday, April 18 - Friday, April 21 - April Break - No School
CURTIS GOES TO WASHINGTON IN 32 DAYS!
SAVE THE DATE!
Parent Orientation Part II: Tuesday April 4th at 7-8pm on Zoom. This meeting will be recorded, and attendance/viewing is required. Zoom information was emailed to families this past Tuesday.
Other Dates to Remember: Medication Drop-off is April 26th & 27th in the Curtis Lobby.
Volunteers Needed! We are seeking volunteers to assist in filling T-shirt orders. This will occur on Wed. April 12, in the Curtis Cafeteria. If you are interested in volunteering, please email Brandi Parra or Maria Tamburrini.
Donations Needed! We are seeking donations of water and snacks for the road trips to D.C. and back. Items include:
1-gallon jugs of water
Individual servings of:
Pretzels
Popcorn
Chips
Crackers (Goldfish, Graham, Triscuits, Ritz, Cheez-its, etc.)
Nut-free granola bars
Breakfast bars
Cheese/cracker sets (no refrigeration needed)
Fruit snacks
Meat sticks
Dried fruit
Cookies
Please drop these items off at Curtis until April 25th. Email Briana Danielson if you have any questions.
REMINDERS FROM THE OFFICE STAFF
- If your child will be absent or tardy from school, please call 978-443-1071, press 1, and leave a message on the absence line stating your child’s name, the date(s) of their absence/ tardiness and the reason. If there is a planned absence, you are welcome to call ahead of time -- you do not need to wait until that day.
- If you will be taking your child out of school for an appointment or picking them up early, please write a note and have your child drop it off in the front office. You must come into the office to sign out your child; if they return to school that day, they may come back in on their own and stop by the office.
- We do not need to know about a change in dismissal plans at 3:10 dismissal time (or 12:45 on an Early Release day).
- Students may only ride the bus to which they are assigned.
- We will interrupt class to have students pick up eyeglasses or Chromebooks dropped off in the office. All other items will be placed on the table outside the office. If your child calls and asks you to bring something to school, please tell them they must come to the office to retrieve.
SUDBURY POLICE YOUTH ACADEMY
The Sudbury Police Youth Academy will be available for ALL middle school students, running in two sessions from July 10th through the 14th and August 7th through the 11th at the Sudbury Police station. The academy is one week long, from 8am to 4pm, Monday through Friday, at no cost to residents. Parents can find more information about the program on the Town's website https://sudbury.ma.us under the Sudbury Police Youth Academy.
CURTIS ULTIMATE FRISBEE
Welcome to our Spring Season!
We invite all middle school students to participate in this fun and welcoming team! Practices and games will be held on Fridays, from 3:15 to 4:45 at Curtis Field.
Just bring a water bottle, a dark AND a white t-shirt, and cleats. No previous knowledge or experience required!
To register, please fill out this Form. If you have any questions, email us at ecurtismsultimate@gmail.com
We look forward to meeting you and to another great season of Ultimate!
2023 ECMS YEARBOOK
Hello, Curtis parents! Your children are creating memories this school year. In order to create the yearbooks in time, they need to be ordered soon. The yearbook is created and designed with student input. With pictures taken all throughout the school, they are creating a memorable book for you and your children to look back on their year.
When ordering, please be sure to use your child's formal name. Jostens uses a computer database to produce the emails that are sent to you. If you order using your child's nickname, your child's name will not be removed from the list and you will continue to receive emails. After placing your order, please be sure to save your email receipt, if needed for future reference. Please email our yearbook coordinator, Liz Kerrigan, if you have any questions.
Let's remember this year together! All yearbook orders are placed online. The price is $50. Please click here to order your yearbook today!
A MESSAGE FROM THE ECMS HEALTH OFFICE
Norovirus: You Don't Want It!
The US is seeing a higher-than-average incidence of Norovirus (the stomach bug) circulating right now. Here are some helpful hints to keep you healthy and prevent the spread at school and home. While ECMS has a low case incidence currently, the virus does spread rapidly in crowded settings
such as schools.
CURTIS SCHEDULE
LUNCH MENU FOR 4/3/23-4/6/23
SHARING COMMUNITY INFORMATION
INTERESTED IN SUBSTITUTING AS A SCHOOL NURSE?
Dear Families,
Are you a nurse or do you know a nurse who may be interested in school nursing? Our dynamic SPS nursing team is looking to increase our nursing substitute pool and would love to have you join us. If you are interested, please apply here! Want more information or have some questions? Please contact Nurse Leader, Carol Bradford to find out more about this very rewarding position.
Thank you!
carol_bradford@sudbury.k12.ma.us
978-443-1085 ext 6005
LOCAL RESOURCES AND HELPFUL INFORMATION
SPS Social-Emotional Resource Site for Families
This site includes a variety of resources designed for caregivers to help you support children in their social, emotional, and self-regulation growth. Contact information for the school-based mental health professionals is located on this site.
Bethany Hadvab, Town of Sudbury Social Worker, can be reached by phone at 978-440-5476 or by email at HadvabB@sudbury.ma.us
William James INTERFACE Referral Service
A mental health and wellness referral helpline. Each referral best meets the location, insurance, and specialty needs of the caller. Click here to watch a short video about the referral service. Call toll-free: (888) 244-6843 Monday - Friday between the hours of 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM.
Framingham Family Resource Center
Family Resource Centers (FRCs) are a statewide network of community-based providers offering multicultural parenting programs, support groups, early childhood services, information and referral resources, and education for families whose children range in age from birth to 18 years old.
A referral agency that helps find and connect you to services needed to improve your quality of life. Metrowest referral line: 1-844-528-6800.
CPO NEWS
8th Grade Families - Save the Date!
8th Grade Social
Friday, June 2, 2023 6 pm - 8 pm
More details to follow
6th Grade Families - Save the Date!
6th Grade Social
Friday, May 19, 2023 6 pm - 8 pm
More details to follow!
Curtis Directory
You can still purchase online access to the Curtis directory and make a donation to
Direct Appeal in one easy step. Online access for the directory is $10 and you will
have access right after you place your order. Visit this link to get Directory access
today !
Direct Appeal
Please consider a tax-deductible donation to the CPO to help support Curtis’ cultural, creative, and educational programming. The CPO supports a variety of programs and initiatives that are all important additions to the Curtis community and they truly improve the students’ experience at Curtis Middle School. This is all possible because of the generosity of the Curtis parent community.
We suggest a $75 donation—but no donation is too small—and all are appreciated! Also, please check if your company offers a matching donation. Click here to donate.
Please note that donation acknowledgment letters will be provided by request only. If you require a letter for tax purposes, please email a request to cpotreasurer@gmail.com.
(You can also make a donation when you order your directory!)
Lost & Found
Please remind your student to check the Lost & Found in the cafeteria for missing items. There are a lot of clothes, shoes, bags and water bottles and other items that need to go back home. It is important to note that there are multiple sizes of several items, so please check before taking what is yours.
Curtis Gear
The Curtis online store is now open with lots of Curtis spirit wear and gear, including clothing, hats, bags, and more! Now is the time to make purchases for holiday gifts. Gear is available for purchase throughout the year.
8th Grade Events and Washington DC Trip: VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
We are still looking for volunteers to form a team to help with various aspects of the DC trip. Additionally, we need a team of parent volunteers to start planning the 8th Grade events including the end of the year Social. Please reach out to the 8th Grade Co-Chair Nalini Luthra via email nluthra647@aol.com if you would like more information or sign up to help.
FOR PETER NOYES FAMILIES
SATURDAY, APRIL 22ND
CURTIS CORE VALUES
Learning ~ Respect ~ Responsibliity
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