The Curtis Connection
May 19, 2023
READ ALL ABOUT IT!
- Mr. Mela's Message
- Mark This on Your Calendar
- Buddy Dog Collection Drive
- A Message from the School Counselors
- For Families Moving or Students Withdrawing to Attend Private School
- Order School Supply Kits Now for 2023-2024 School Year!
- A Message from the ECMS Health Office
- Reminders from the Office Staff
- ECMS 2023 Yearbook
- Curtis Schedule
- Sharing Community Information
- Interested in Substituting as a School Nurse?
- CPO News
- Join SERF!
- Local Resources and Helpful Information
- Curtis Core Values/Contact Us
MR. MELA'S MESSAGE
Dear Families,
On May 16th, we recognized a Day of Silence, which is a student-led national event that brings attention to the harmful effects of anti-LGBTQ+ harassment and bullying in schools. It is a day where participants take a vow of silence to represent the silencing of LGBTQ+ students and their allies. By remaining silent, participants help to raise awareness about the importance of creating safe and inclusive spaces for everyone in our school community.
Thank you to the students in the Diversity Club for participating in the day and to Ms. Simpson, Ms. Mason, and Ms. Whitcomb for their leadership.
Tonight, we are looking forward to the 6th grade social, which will be held outside with the nice weather. Please make sure your children are dropped off and picked up at the scheduled times.
Please continue to keep us informed about anything we can do to help with a strong and positive finish to the school year.
Enjoy the weekend,
Jeff
Wednesday, May 24 - 12:45 Early Release
Monday, May 29 - No School: Memorial Day
Wednesday, June 14 - 8th Grade Moving On Ceremonies: 9:00 a.m. Integrity Team, 11:00 a.m. Tenacity Team, 1:00 p.m. Unity Team
Thursday, June 15 - Last Day of School for All Students; 12:45 Dismissal
BUDDY DOG COLLECTION DRIVE
Starting Monday, May 22nd and running through Friday, June 9th, Curtis is holding a pet supplies collection drive to benefit the Buddy Dog Humane Society in Sudbury. The collection drive has been organized by the Curtis Angels. Buddy Dog's mission is to find suitable homes for stray, homeless and unwanted dogs and cats. Buddy Dog was founded in 1961, and since that time, has found new homes for thousands of homeless animals.
Buddy Dog is most in need of: Martingale collars (large, medium and small), laundry detergent, non-clumping clay cat litter, paper towels, canned dog food, Science Diet dry cat and dog food, sturdy toys for heavy chewers, and soft cat toys like toy mice. Gift cards to pet supply and home goods stores are also appreciated.
A collection bin will be located in the main lobby at Curtis. If you have any questions about the collection drive, please contact Ivar Henningson, Curtis Angels Faculty Advisor.
A MESSAGE FROM THE SCHOOL COUNSELORS
Happy spring! It is hard to believe we are nearing the end of the school year. We hope that you and your family are taking care of yourselves and doing well.
May is Mental Health Awareness Month and we wanted to share some tips and resources with you that may be helpful in supporting your child’s mental health.
Screenagers Article "How to Prevent Loneliness in Our Homes" - tips for managing screen time/devices in order to support teen’s mental health
Podcast: How Should We Respond to Anxiety in Our Kids? feat. Kevin Simon, MD
Article: Building Mental Wellness in Children: What Parents Can Do | The Clay Center for Young Healthy Minds
We are a practical, online educational resource dedicated to promoting and supporting the mental, emotional, and behavioral well-being of all young people: Clay Center for Young Healthy Minds
Emerson Hospital community resources for families: Behavioral and Mental Health Resources | Emerson Hospital
Sudbury Public Schools Social Emotional Resources for Parents - listing of resources and articles curated by SPS
William James INTERFACE Referral Service - referral service for SPS families to find counseling supports.
Remember we are here to support you and your children all year long. Please reach out to us if you have any questions or concerns.
Terry Miller - Grade 6 School Counselor
Jennifer Hymes - Grade 7 School Counselor
FOR FAMILIES MOVING OR STUDENTS WITHDRAWING TO ATTEND PRIVATE SCHOOL
Please inform us in writing if your family will be moving out of Sudbury Public Schools this summer. Please provide us with an email letter of withdrawal and your new forwarding home address. If you will need records sent to the new school, we will need your authorization in writing or a signed release form.
Additionally, if your student will be withdrawing from ECMS in order to enroll in private school next year, we will also need a letter of withdrawal and a signed release form authorizing transcripts or school records to be sent to the new school.
Please forward the student withdrawal information to Jean Galligan Pallone, Student Services Administrative Assistant, at jean_pallone@sudbury.k12.ma.us.
ORDER SCHOOL SUPPLY KITS NOW FOR 2023-2024 SCHOOL YEAR!
We are kicking off our School Supply kit fundraiser this week, running through June 2nd! Kits are available for each grade at Curtis, plus a World Language kit for anyone taking French or Spanish. Please remember to order for the grade your child will be in next school year (2023-2024). Please note: students taking chorus or band next year will also need a 1/2-inch black binder, not included in any kit.
Ordering is simple!
1.) Just go to www.shopttkits.com and enter Account #86380.
2.) Select the grade your child will be in next school year (2023-2024), and order the World Language kit if needed.
3.) Kits will be shipped to your house before school starts next year!
No one is obligated to purchase in this way; you can certainly buy the individual items yourself, but if you do purchase next year's supplies through this Fundraiser, 10% will be given back to Curtis Middle School to help support enrichment efforts and activities!
Any questions, please contact jennlemire@gmail.com.
A MESSAGE FROM THE ECMS HEALTH OFFICE
Incoming 7th Grade Immunization and Physical Requirements
Students entering 7th grade are required by Massachusetts State Law to submit a record of immunizations and a current physical to the Curtis Health Office. The regulation pertaining to school immunization is 105 CMR 220.00: Immunization of students before admission to school can be found at mass.gov.
By 7th Grade
3 doses of Hep B
1 dose of Tdap
3 doses of Polio
2 doses of MMR
2 doses of Varicella
1 dose Meningococcal (MenACWY)
Physical exams must be recent and dated within 13 months of the start of school. A physical dated before 7/30/2022 will not be considered current. You may mail, email, fax or hand deliver your child’s health record to the Curtis Health Office.
A written religious exemption for immunizations must be signed by a parent/guardian to keep in the student’s file at the Health Office. All students, regardless of immunization status, must have a current physical on file.
Happy Spring!
FAX: (978) 443-1099
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.
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!
CURTIS SCHEDULE
LUNCH MENU FOR THE WEEK OF 5/22/23-5/26/23
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
CPO NEWS
8th Grade Social tickets are on sale now! Don’t forget to buy your tickets by today to take advantage of the early bird price. Click on this link to buy your tickets and volunteer. Make sure you fill out the Code of Conduct for your student.
7th Grade Parents
Looking for 3-4 7th grade parents to volunteer to order decorations and setup for the 8th grade Moving On ceremonies. This would entail ordering flowers and balloons and decorating the afternoon before the June 14th ceremonies. Let’s help pay it forward so the 8th grade families can focus on enjoying the day! If interested, please contact christinapappas577@gmail.com
Calling all Incoming 6th Grade Families
The CPO has an opening for 6th grade co-chair. This is open to a parent who has a 6th grader starting in the fall. Attend monthly meetings, contribute to the Curtis Messenger and Connection, serve as the contact for 2-3 committees, and help with events. This is a 3-year position that progresses to the next grade level each year. If interested or if you’d like more information, please email cochairs@curtiscpo.org. To learn more about the CPO, visit our website: curtiscpo.org.
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! Gear is available for purchase throughout the year.
JOIN SERF!
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.
CURTIS CORE VALUES
Learning ~ Respect ~ Responsibliity
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