Julian Curtiss Elementary School

What a wonderful evening we had at our Open House on Tuesday, September 16! Julian Curtiss opened its doors wide to welcome our amazing families, giving everyone the opportunity to meet our dedicated staff, explore their children's learning environments, and discover the exciting curriculum that lies ahead this school year.

It was exciting to see our hallways and classrooms buzzing with energy as our wonderful families connected with teachers and got a glimpse into their children's daily academic journey. The enthusiasm and engagement from our families truly made the evening special.

We are deeply grateful for the strong partnership we share with our families and for the unwavering support you provide to our school community. Your involvement and commitment make such a difference in creating a positive learning environment for all our scholars.

Thank you to everyone who joined us for this successful evening – it's partnerships like these that make us excited for another outstanding year at JC!

Soar like Eagles,

Eduardo Calderón and Claribel Michilena

We were thrilled to partner with the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) who delivered a Constitution lesson to our 3rd grade students! The timing couldn't have been more perfect - this special learning experience took place on September 17th, the exact date the US Constitution was signed 238 years ago. Students were captivated as they learned about this foundational document and then put their knowledge into practice by creating their very own Class Constitution. What a meaningful way to celebrate Constitution Day while bringing history to life in our classrooms! We're so grateful to DAR for sharing their expertise and helping our scholars connect with this important piece of American history.

Ringing In Ceremony 🔔

Attention All Kindergarten Families

Our Ringing In Ceremony will take place this coming

Wednesday, September 24th at 9am.

Come celebrate this milestone as your kindergartener officially enters elementary school.

Families of our 4th and 5th grade scholars will be receiving results today showing their performance on 24-25 Smarter Balanced Assessment. Our students put forth tremendous effort preparing for this important evaluation. We encourage you to take a look at the results and please feel comfortable contacting your child's teacher if you have any questions or

would like to discuss the information further.

We are grateful and excited to have our new playground! As our scholars explore and enjoy the new slides, we want to remind all families who use the playground after school hours to please supervise children closely while they play. To ensure everyone's safety, we ask that slides be used one person at a time and that children follow safe playground practices. During school hours, our staff is also maintaining close supervision to help prevent any potential injuries or accidents.

Each month, all of our students in grades PreK–5 share a common story through our Book of the Month program. Reading the same book across grade levels fosters a shared experience, sparks meaningful conversations, and builds a strong sense of community around literature.

This month, our students are reading Not Perfect, a heartfelt story about Dot, a girl who feels like she just can’t measure up to the “perfect” talents of her family and friends. From messy cupcakes to off-key piano notes, Dot discovers that what truly matters isn’t being perfect, but being yourself and celebrating the people you admire. The story encourages children to embrace mistakes, build resilience, and recognize the beauty in trying.

Not Perfect has received national recognition, including being named A Bank Street Best Children’s Book of the Year, A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection, and A Chicago Public Library Best Book of the Year.

We invite families to join the conversation at home by asking children what Dot learns about herself, sharing stories of times when “not perfect” moments turned into learning opportunities, and celebrating the small victories that come from persistence and creativity. Together, we can help our children see that imperfection is part of growth- and sometimes even the best part of the story.