Animals

There’s A Lot More Fish in Jamaica Pond After Last Week

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One of the great benefits of being governor of Massachusetts means you have the option of participating in the annual stocking of Jamaica Pond -- and Governor Maura Healey didn't miss her first opportunity to do so. Healey was joined Boston Parks and Recreation Commissioner Ryan Woods, Massachusetts Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Rebecca Tepper, students from John F. Kennedy Elementary and Curley K-8 schools, and MassWildlife staff on April 27. According to Boston Parks and Recreation, more than 1,000 trout were released into Jamaica Pond -- approximately 800 rainbow trout averaging 14 inches long, 25 brook trout and 65 brown trout averaging 18 inches long, and 170 tiger trout, a cross between a female brown trout and a male brook trout, averaging 14 inches long. The fish for the stocking event were raised at state hatcheries.

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Arts
A scene from the South Street Parade at Wake Up The Earth 2015

Wake Up The Earth Festival & Parades on May 7

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The beloved Wake Up The Earth Festival & Parade will be on May 7, and you'll have three places to join a parade, as they come together at Stony Brook. Parades will gather at 10:30 am. If you're interested in joining the parade, and everyone is welcome, please email Zafiro at wute22parade@gmail.com.  The trio of parades will start at Curtis Hall, the Curley K-8 School, and the Egleston Square YMCA. Parades will meet at Jackson Square and then continue together down Lamartine Street to begin the festival at Stony Brook, which starts officially at noon, and goes to 6 pm. The festival includes musical performances, food vendors, a local farm selling seedlings, lots of local organizations with information tables, a kids musical play area, and more.

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Government

Chang-Díaz Wants Case Study of Curley School Situation; Elugardo Advocating to Reverse State’s Decision

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Currently, Boston Public Schools' leadership plans for Curley School students, staff, and faculty, to return to in-person learning on Nov. 22 due to a school-wide COVID outbreak. But Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education Jeffrey Riley decided that only four days of remote learning would count to the required 180 school days per school year. Riley explained his reasoning in Nov. 11 letter to Acting Mayor Kim Janey, Boston School Committee Chair Jeri Robinson, and Boston Public Schools Superintendent Brenda Cassellius.

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Schools

Curley School Families and Community Not Happy with State’s Decision

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State Education Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education Jeffrey Riley said the state will not accept all remote learning days as official days that Curley K-8 School will take while facing a COVID-19 outbreak. It's fair to say that the Curley School community and the general public is incensed by Riley and Boston Public School leaders. Curley School parent Jocelyn Stanton created a change.org petition to honor all of the remote learning days. The Twittersphere has been packed with opinions about Riley, BPS leadership, Curley School teachers, science, math, and more. People are really not happy with Riley.

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Coronavirus

Editorial: State Education Commissioner Puts Community at Risk With Curley School Decision

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The decision by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education's commissioner to only count a portion of the Curley K-8 School's at-home learning days following a COVID-19 outbreak doesn't do right by the school community -- and the Boston community at large -- and ought to be reconsidered. Boston Public Schools Superintendent Brenda Cassellius announced this past Tuesday, November 9, that the Curley K-8 School would close for 10 days and switch to remote learning due to a proliferation of COVID-19 cases in the school. That day, BPS officials said they had identified 46 cases spread across 21 Curley classrooms. Given the infection spread, the entire school closed on the advice of the Boston Public Health Commission. On Friday, BPS announced another 17 positive cases, bringing the total to at least 63. This news came on top of BPS announcing that the Manning School in Jamaica Plain had at least 17 positive cases.

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Coronavirus

Curley School Stopping In-Person Learning for 10 Days Due to COVID

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Due to a rise in COVID cases, the Curley K-8 School will not hold in-person learning for 10 days starting Wednesday. The Boston Public Health Commission advised the school to switch from in-person learning, according to an email sent to the Curley community. As of now, the plan is for the school to reopen Monday, Nov. 22. Boston Public Schools held a community meeting about the rapid spread of the Coronavirus in the Curley School on Monday evening.

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Coronavirus

COVID-19 Outbreaks at Two Jamaica Plain Elementary Schools

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The Curley K-8 School and the Joseph P. Manning Elementary School have both had outbreaks of COVID-19 this week. The Curley K-8 community received an email around 5:30 pm today saying "that 24 members of the Curley K-8 community recently accessed the building and tested positive for COVID-19." The email said school officials are working closely with the Boston Public Health Commission (BPHC), and due to the advice of the BPHC "one or more individuals are now in quarantine and have been provided with specific next steps according to their situation..." The email did not provide information about whether those who tested positive are students, faculty, or staff. This news comes on top of the Manning School having 16 confirmed cases in a school of 175 students, according to WBUR.

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Curley K-8 School

Curley K-8 School 20th Annual Plant Sale

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The Curley K-8 School’s 20th Annual Plant Sale will be in the parking lot across from the school on Centre Street and Spring Park Ave. Celebrate spring and come and get your annuals, herbs, and vegetables. There will also be activities for the kids. This fundraiser, sponsored by the Parent’s Council, supports arts, music and science at the school.

Coronavirus

Curley School Staff Member Tests Positive for COVID-19; Parents Not Yet Notified

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A Mary E. Curley School staff member recently tested positive for COVID-19. This is the first known case of a Curley School community member. Principal Katie Grassa sent an email to staff members last week. That email was provided to Jamaica Plain News by a member of the Curley School community. "We were recently notified that a member of the Curley K-8 community has tested positive for COVID-19.

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Schools

Q&A: Curley School Principal Talks About Students, Staff Adapting to Online Learning

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Katie Grassa is in her seventh year of being the principal of the Curley K-8 School, and guiding the school community during this unprecedented times. Grassa answered questions from Jamaica Plain News about how the school's community has adapted to online learning. Q: How has your job changed since students were told they weren’t coming to school anymore? Grassa: I’m leading a school virtually from my dining room table. I think the personal connections I have with people have changed.

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