The Curtis Connection

In today's Connection:

• Mr. Mela's Message
• Mark Your Calendar
• ECMS MCAS Calendar Spring 2024
• For Families Moving or Students Withdrawing to Attend Private School
• Order School Supply Kids Now for 2024-2025 School Year!
• ECMS School Grounds Cleanup
• 8th Grade Civics Action Projects
• Food Drive for the Sudbury Community Food Pantry
• 2024-2025 Bus Registration
• A Message from the ECMS Health Office
  
• Lincoln-Sudbury Relay for Life, May 4th
• ECMS 2024 Yearbook!
• Curtis Is Going to Washington in 11 Days!
• Curtis Schedule
• Lunch Menu for the Week of 5/6/2024
• CPO News
• Curtis Core Values
• Contact Us
• Community Notices

Dear Families,

On Tuesday, we were thrilled to welcome Kati Preston back to Curtis to speak with our 8th-Grade students. Kati is a Holocaust survivor, motivational speaker, author, mother, grandmother, and activist for tolerance, acceptance, and forgiveness. Her story and voice were moving and impactful for our students and staff. In a few weeks, our students will visit the Holocaust Museum in Washington, making Kati's presentation even more meaningful.

Enjoy the weekend,

Jeff

Wednesday, May 8 - 12:45 Early Release

Tuesday, May 14 - School Bus Registration Due

Tuesday, May - Friday, May 17 - Grade 8 Washington, DC Trip

Wednesday, May 22 - 12:45 Early Release

Monday May 27 - No School: Memorial Day

Wednesday, June 12 - 8th Grade Moving On Ceremonies: 9:00 a.m. Integrity Team, 11:00 a.m. Tenacity Team, 1:00 p.m. Unity Team. The ceremonies will be held in the Auditorium; each child may have up to three (3) guests.

Thursday, June 13 - Last Day of School for All Students; 12:45 Dismissal

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.

We are kicking off our School Supply kit fundraiser this week, running through June 5th. All orders should be placed online, and kits will be delivered to your home this summer. Avoid the lines and crowds - place your order today!

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 (2024-2025), and order the World Language kit if needed.

3.) Please note: If your child is taking a language, remember to order a WLANG kit, in addition to their grade level kit. And if they're taking band or chorus, they'll need a ½-inch black binder, which is not included in any kit.

3.) Kits will be shipped to your house before school starts next year!

This is an optional fundraiser, and you are welcome to purchase on your own and send in on the first day of school in August. Any questions, please contact jennlemire@gmail.com.

Last week, to celebrate Earth Day, members of the Curtis Angels picked up litter on the ECMS school grounds. Below are photos of some of the students who helped with the cleanup.

Best Buddies Club for Students with Disabilities

A group of 8th grade students is working on their Civics Action Project and wants to create a Best Buddies Club for students who have disabilities. In Massachusetts and Rhode Island, Best Buddies provides One-to-One Friendship, Leadership Development, and other programs for people with and without disabilities. Below, please answer some survey questions about the Best Buddies club. Your responses will be anonymous. Thank you for your support - Danny Hernandez and Keaton Howell.

Survey - Best Buddies Club for Students with Disabilities

Pesticide Use in Sudbury (Data Survey)

A group of 8th grade students is working on a Civics Action Project that involves collecting data about the use of pesticides in Sudbury. The form is completely anonymous and no data is collected except the responses to the questions below. Thank you for taking time to respond. - Reid Kula, Sam De Vos Guérin, Josh Hernandez

Survey - Pesticide Use in Sudbury

American Sign Language Course at LS

A group of 8th grade students is working on a Civics Action Project that seeks approval for the addition of an American Sign Language (ASL) curriculum at LSRHS, which means ASL would be offered as a language. Massachusetts has the highest population of deaf people in the United States and ASL is the fourth most commonly used language in the United States. ASL provides significant benefits for hearing persons, deaf persons, and a variety of disabled people. The purpose of this survey is to determine the interest level among adults in the Lincoln-Sudbury community for adding an ASL program to LSRHS. All responses to this survey are anonymous. Thank you for taking our survey! - Stella Grosso, Josie Rightmyer, Max Goldman, Eva Martinelli, Ethan Cohen, Keith Bonica

Survey - American Sign Language at LS

Petition - American SIgn Language Legislation
A group of 8th grade students is promoting the inclusion of ASL in Massachusetts public high schools via a petition as part of their Civics Action Project. Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School currently does not offer ASL as a language or elective. If the Massachusetts Legislature were to pass Senate bill S.2589 and House bill H.4428, these measures will require public high schools to credit the successful completion of an ASL curriculum toward satisfaction of foreign language requirements for graduation. In addition to passing this Legislation, we ask that the Massachusetts Legislature and Governor Maura Healey also enact a law to provide funding for ASL curricula that supports classroom resources, including the hiring of ASL certified teachers. For the reasons discussed in their petition, the students urge you to sign our petition and support the inclusion of ASL in Massachusetts public high schools. Thank you - Rachel Edlefsen, Frankie Krauser, Anna Salvador, Sidney Krauss, Lexie Stolper, and Tess van der Voorn.
Petition to Support the Inclusion of American Sign Language in MA Public Schools

Curtis is currently hosting a food collection drive that will run Monday, May 6th, through Friday, May 10th. The collection drive has been organized by a group of 8th graders for their Civic Action Project and will benefit the Sudbury Community Food Pantry and the hundreds of families the Food Pantry supports.

Most needed items are cereal, tomato sauce, cake & brownie mixes, boxed potatoes, taco kits, beef stew, chili, canned fruit, condiments (mayo, ketchup, dressing), cookies, crackers, and boxed rice.

A collection bin will be located in the front lobby at Curtis. Please contact Ivar Henningson if you have questions. On behalf of the Sudbury Community Food Pantry, thank you for your support.

Click here to register for the school bus.

Fun in the Sun

With summer just around the corner, it’s important to understand the risks that come along with hot days in the sun.

Everyone has the same number of melanocytes (the cells that make skin’s pigment) regardless of their skin color. What differs is the amount of melanin these cells make: Those with lighter skin produce less melanin, and those with darker skin more.

Melanin provides some natural defense from the sun’s ultraviolet rays but not complete protection, so do not have a false sense of immunity from sun damage. Skin cancer can happen to anybody.

Best Practices for Sun Protection

The threats of excessive sun exposure are real and universal, but so are the steps families can take to protect themselves.

Watch the Clock

The sun is strongest between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., so families should be mindful of how much time they spend outside during these hours.

Cover up

Lightweight, long-sleeve shirts and long pants, sunglasses, and wide-brimmed hats that protect their ears and the back of the neck are great sun protection.

Look for swimwear and clothing that list their UPF (Ultraviolet Protection Factor) rating. UPF indicates how much UV radiation the fabric allows to reach the skin. For example, a UPF rating of 30 means the material allows 1/30th (about 3 percent) of UV radiation. Any fabric with a rating below 15 is not considered UV-protective.

Sunscreen – for Everyone

Opt for sunscreens with zinc oxide or titanium dioxide as their active ingredient; they are most often labeled as mineral sunscreens (sometimes called physical blockers). Physical blockers sit on top of the skin to physically “block” UV rays. They can safely and effectively protect from a broad spectrum of ultraviolet rays, including both UVB and UVA rays. Their alternative — chemical sunscreens — “absorb” UV rays through a chemical reaction that changes UV rays into heat which is then released from the skin. Some chemical sunscreens protect against UVB rays and others against UVA rays. Since a sunscreen’s SPF level only indicates the level of protection against UVB rays, it’s harder to find a chemical sunscreen product that provides full coverage. However, regardless of which formula you choose, reapplying every 60 to 90 minutes is essential.

An SPF of 30 or above provides adequate sun protection and most sunscreens are formulated from the same collection of ingredients, so a higher SPF doesn’t mean better coverage, and a higher cost doesn’t necessarily mean better ingredients.

The Bright Side

Despite the real dangers of getting too much sun, controlled exposure to sunlight has real benefits on things such as mood, vitamin D levels, and some medical conditions.

Anne-Marie Hultin, RN BSN & Kiersten Varner, RN BSN

This year’s Relay for Life of Lincoln Sudbury will take place tomorrow, May 4th on the field of Noyes Elementary School, starting at 5:00 p.m. We would love to see you there!

Relay for Life is the world’s largest movement to end cancer. At Relay, our community unites for a common cause. There are spirited speeches, moving ceremonies, and fun activities for all ages.

Money raised through Relay for Life saves lives by supporting the research, education, advocacy, and patient services provided by the American Cancer Society. Thanks in large part to Relay for Life volunteers, we’ve seen a significant decrease in the cancer death rate since 1991. Our event fights back against all cancers, and our community can help to finish the fight!

If you’d like to stop by to the LS Relay and see what it’s about, you and your family are more than welcome!

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 $55. Please click here to order your yearbook today!

Read the latest D.C. Digest for reminders, deadlines, links, and more.

Please click here to view the SPS 2023-2024 School Calendar.

Please click here to see the complete Curtis schedule for this school year.

Click here to see the 2024-2025 Sudbury Public Schools calendar.

8th Grade Neon Social

Friday, May 31, 6-8pm- Curtis
DJ, photo booth, games, and more!

Tickets on sale now! https://www.curtiscpo.org/eighthsocial

6th Grade Island Vibes Social-NEXT FRIDAY! REGISTRATION CLOSES ON MONDAY

FRIDAY, MAY 10TH 6-8pm- Curtis

DJ, photo booth, Obstacle Course and more!

Tickets on sale now! https://www.curtiscpo.org/sixthsocial

We will need lots of parent volunteers, please click here to volunteer and donate items. If your child requires gluten-free pizza, please email Jenn Spencer.

8th Grade Moving On:

This year's Moving on Ceremonies will take place on June 12th by team:

9am Integrity

11am Tenacity

1pm Unity

In addition to the ceremonies, there will be the following special events for the 8th graders:

Monday, June 10th: Doughnuts in the morning

Tuesday, June 11th: Volleyball Tournament and ice cream from Trombetta's

Signups to volunteer to help will be coming. Please contact Christina Pappas with questions.

Open Positions for Next School Year

The CPO has the following positions open next year and we’d love to have you join us:

Board Member:

6th Grade Co-Chair

Secretary

Committee Member:

Fundraising

Business Sponsor Liaison

If interested or if you’d like more information, please email board@curtiscpo.org.

Curtis Annual Fund

Thank you to families who have already contributed to our 2023-24 CPO Annual Fund! Your donations help to support a variety of programs and initiatives, including cultural enrichment, Curtis Messenger, student scholarships, student social events, technology, end-of-year activities, classroom curriculum aids for teachers, UA supplies, recess equipment, teacher appreciation events, library furniture, the student counseling department, the tile project in the school hallways, outdoor beautification projects, and much more. These are all important additions to the Curtis community, and they truly improve the students’ experience at Curtis Middle School.

If you have not yet donated, please take a moment to make a contribution and show your Cougar Pride. We are behind in our fundraising and have not yet hit 60% of our goal. No donation is too small. The majority of the CPO's funds are generated from the annual fund. Please consider a tax-deductible donation to the CPO to help support Curtis’ cultural, creative, and educational programming. Also, don't forget to check if your company offers a match to your donation.

Thanks in advance for your contribution!

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.

Curtis Gear

The Curtis online store is now open with lots of Curtis spirit wear and gear, including clothing, hats, bags, and more!

Curtis Online Directory

You can still purchase online access to the Curtis Directory and make a donation to the Annual Fund in one easy step. Online access is only $12 and is available as soon as you place your order. Click here to get Directory access today!

Questions? Email curtiscpodirectory@gmail.com

Business Sponsorship Opportunities

Are you a Curtis Family who owns a business or do you work at/know a business that would be interested in exposure to over 800 local families? Becoming a business sponsor of Curtis provides great marketing opportunities for businesses while supporting our school at the same time! We have very affordable sponsor opportunities available for 2023-2024. Please reach out to the CPO at board@curtiscpo.org.

Thanks for your support!

Learning ~ Respect ~ Responsibliity

SPS Community Notices Page

In partnership with Lincoln and Concord, we are proud to offer free English lessons to adults in our community.

If you need this information translated, please copy and paste it into Google Translate. The link to Google translate ishttp://translate.google.com/

Spanish

Si necesita que se le traduzca esta información, por favor, copie y pegue en Google Translate. El enlace de Google Translate es http://translate.google.com/

Portuguese

Caso precise traduzir esta informação, por favor, copie-a e cole-a no Google Tradutor. O link para o Google Tradutoré http://translate.google.com/

Mandarin

如果您需要翻譯該資訊,請將其複製並粘貼到 Google 翻譯。 Google 翻譯的鏈接是 http://translate.google.com/

Russian

Если вам нужен перевод этой информации, скопируйте и вставьте ее в Google Переводчик. Вотссылка на Google Переводчик: http://translate.google.com/