“WHEN I SAY CURLEY, YOU SAY CARES!”
“Curley”
“CARES!”
“Curley”
“CARES!”
This is the commonly known chant the students at The Curley K-8 scream with pride. The school has three common expectations: to care about themselves, to care about each other, to care about the school. These guiding principles have proven to be more than just words. Teachers, staff, and students collectively uphold these values through intentional actions and programs that promote empathy, respect, and inclusion.
This unwavering dedication is likely what earned the school the honor of becoming one of the first two Boston Public Schools (BPS) to earn National Banner status for its Unified Champion Schools programming. National Banner status recognizes schools that demonstrate a commitment to inclusion, collaboration, and leadership opportunities for students of all abilities—it is the highest honor awarded by Special Olympics at the national level to schools embracing the Unified Champion Schools framework. To qualify, schools must meet rigorous standards across three key areas: Unified Sports, inclusive youth leadership, and whole-school engagement. The Curley K-8’s accomplishment highlights the school’s dedication to fostering a culture of inclusion and acceptance.
To celebrate this incredible honor, the school organized events throughout the entire day that included students across every grade in the district in a true display of whole school engagement.
The day began with the Unified Basketball team parading through the hallways where the lower grade level classrooms cheered with signs, noisemakers, streamers and confetti.
Next there was a National Banner ceremony attended by middle grade students, faculty, Special Olympics MA staff, and some very special guests, Mary Skipper, Superintendent of BPS and Kristen McCosh, Disability Commissioner for the City of Boston.
“You are raising a banner today, and do you know why you got it?” Superintendent Skipper said in her speech, “You got it because The Curley is a place where everyone is welcome, where you make sure that everyone is included and feels like they belong.”
The ceremony also included speeches from former BPS student and Special Olympics Inclusion Ambassador, Lumene “Lighting” Montissol, as well as many other student-speakers from The Curley. There were also incredible performances by neuro-diverse students in music and the arts as well as representation from the Unified Student Government, further showcasing The Curley’s dedication to whole-school engagement and inclusion.
“You earned this award by your acts of kindness, by wanting to include everybody,” Patti Doherty, VP of Schools at Special Olympics MA announced to the students at The Curley, “You are what it means to play and live Unified. You are making the world a better and kinder place.”
The celebrations continued in the afternoon with the 7th and 8th grade students and a surprise superstar guest. Boston Celtics star and Special Olympics advocate, Derrick White took time out of his busy schedule to come to Curley and congratulate students for their efforts in inclusion. From a high-five tunnel, Unified Basketball inter-squad scrimmage and photo-ops, the students were beaming with pride the entire time.
The Curley K-8’s success serves as an inspiration for city schools across Massachusetts. As one of the first BPS schools to receive this distinction, it sets a high standard for what can be accomplished through dedication and a shared vision of inclusion. The Curley K-8 shares this honor with another BPS school, Mattahunt Elementary School, which also achieved National Banner status this year and will celebrate their status in early 2025. This marks a significant milestone for Boston Public Schools, reflecting not only Special Olympics MA’s dedication to bringing Unified programming to Boston; but the city’s mutual dedication to ensuring that every student has the chance to be included on and off the playing field.
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