Dear CPS Community,

I hope you’re all enjoying the last full week of March as we gear up for a busy few weeks before April Vacation!

April is School Library Month, a time to celebrate not only the role libraries throughout our district play in learning, but also the librarians who help our students find their passion for reading. The American Association of School Librarians (AASL) launched their efforts to establish a national School Library Month four decades ago. Lucille Thomas was appointed as chair of the School Library Media Month Committee by AASL President Judy King in 1983. Their work came to fruition on April 1, 1985, when AASL officials, local and national dignitaries got the first School Library Month off to a rousing start with a ceremony on the west steps of the U.S. Capitol.

If you enjoy a good variety show, you won’t want to miss Byam’s Got Talent (formerly Hootenanny) this weekend. There will be singing, dancing, musical performances, magic acts and so much more. The event will be held tomorrow, Saturday, March 29, at 6:00 p.m. in the Carl J. Rondina Performing Arts Center (PAC) at Chelmsford High School. Tickets are $5 and can be purchased here. Tickets will also be available at the door for purchase with cash or via PayPal.

Next week, there will be an opportunity for parents to attend a presentation by Hunter and Cameron Flores called “The Sober Truth.” The brothers will discuss their experiences with substance abuse and the harsh truths of addiction while highlighting the strength and resilience that paved their way to recovery. The event, which will be held on Tuesday, April 1, at 6:30 p.m. in the PAC at CHS, aims to enlighten students and their parents, shatter stigmas and ignite hope. Thank you to the Chelmsford Health Department for sponsoring!

Don’t forget that Tuesday, April 1, is Town Election Day in Chelmsford. The polls are open from 7:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. You may find more information about candidates for office and voting on the Town of Chelmsford website. As a reminder to our McCarthy families and community members, the school is used as a polling location. Please be mindful of the traffic and increase of community member presence in the area while heading to the polls, traveling around town and driving to and from school to drop off or pick up your children on Tuesday.

And just a friendly reminder that next Tuesday, April 1, is also a professional development half day, which means students will be released early.

Have a great weekend!

Yours truly,

Jay Lang, Ed.D.

Superintendent of Schools

• Athletics Schedule
• Byam's Got Talent: Saturday, March 29, 6 p.m., Chelmsford High School PAC
• Professional Development Half Day: Tuesday, April 1 (Early Release)
• Sober Truth Parents Night: Tuesday, April 1, 6:30 p.m. Chelmsford High School PAC
• South Row Multicultural Festival: Saturday, April 5, 1-3 p.m., South Row Elementary School
• School Committee Meeting: Tuesday, April 15, 7 p.m. Central Administration Offices

If you missed the March 25 School Committee meeting, watch it here:

All students riding the school bus must be registered regardless if a fee is required.

Register Now

Please keep in mind the following:

• All riders must be registered online.
• INCOMPLETE REGISTRATION: Anyone who has received an e-mail message regarding an incomplete bus registration and/or has not completed the registration will not receive a bus pass or be on the driver’s passenger roster.
• ALTERNATE ADDRESS: Any student using an alternate address must contact the transportation department immediately. All riders' addresses are automatically reset to the home address each year. Alternate addresses must be for all 5 days of the week.
• FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE: Anyone who has chosen the 'seeking financial assistance' option during registration must apply and be approved for the free and reduced lunch program.

For more information, contact the Transportation Office at 978-251-5100 or by e-mail at brekalisp@chelmsford.k12.ma.us.

The Harrington PTO is excited to announce our 2025 Harrington STEAM Fair on Tuesday, April 15.

Harrington Elementary School students are invited to create a Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts or Mathematics (STEAM) project and display it at the Fair!

This is a fun event intended to nurture students' interest in STEAM. There is no judging, but STEAM fair mentors will visit every project and talk to each participant about their topic.

All participants presenting at the STEAM Fair will be automatically entered into a raffle for gift certificates and other prizes supported by donations from the University of Massachusetts Lowell Department of Chemical Engineering!

Please review the attached document and sign up here: https://tinyurl.com/HarringtonSTEAMFair2025
Contact harringtonsteamfair@gmail.com or HPTO with any questions. We look forward to seeing you there!

To view the entire list of available scholarships for graduating seniors, please click here.

Students at Byam Elementary School used Scratch to create a Google logo by designing letters as sprites and adding animation or effects using basic coding concepts. It combined creativity with coding, allowing students to explore design concepts while reinforcing their programming skills. They practiced sequencing, loops, and event-driven programming to animate and customize their logos. Some students experimented with colors, motion, and even interactive elements, demonstrating problem-solving and innovation.

To see more photos from Thursday's STEM Fair, please visit our website.

Third and fourth grade students at South Row have been working on computer systems. Last week, students created programs using a block-based coding language as they follow the Use-Modify-Create Framework to write programs with sequences, events, loops and variables. This week, they are applying the skills and knowledge they learned and are working together to design and program a digital game. Next week, they will work with partners to brainstorm what their very own video game would look like!

Chelmsford High computer science students recently visited Google's Cambridge Office for a personalized tour of their facility. They met Computer Scientists, Project Managers, Engineers, Google Cloud experts and Android professionals as they toured. They experienced a panel discussion of network, cybersecurity and software engineers who explained their work. The students had Google employees at their lunch tables for small group discussions where professionals answered their questions on courses to take, skills to develop, interviewing skills needed, Google work culture and college-level internships. Thank you, Google!

Students in Chelmsford High School's Project Lead the Way Introduction to Engineering Design course recently began a Clean Energy unit, which explores real-world challenges related to renewable energy and uses the engineering design process to research and design potential solutions.

Thank you to Lockheed Martin for supporting our PLTW Engineering courses!

Courtesy of the Council of Chelmsford Schools, Digital Health & Safety expert Katie Greer will return to the district on Tuesday, April 8, to present to our CHS students and rising fifth graders. She will again offer a session for parents/guardians at 7 p.m. that night in the Performing Arts Center (PAC).

While much of Katie's work is directed to a younger audience, she acknowledges that many adults are mystified by the digital world we live in. For this reason, she offers a program that helps parents navigate the new normal of technology.

She aims to help parents who want to better understand the boundaries (and opportunities!) of tech. Some of what she'll discuss includes:

• Updates on the latest tech trends including popular apps, social networking trends, gaming, sexting and more.
• Social media age limitations - and how often kids are breaking them
• Privacy settings, location services, check-ins: Are your devices set-up safely?
• Advice for having real conversations with your child to foster a positive online experience for your family, with suggested restrictions and rules
• Digital health check-in: Is your family doing a good job balancing life and technology? Most KIDS say "NO!"
• Smartphones & Age: What's the average age kids get smartphones? Are there alternatives? Is there a right age for kids to get smartphones?

Learn more about what Katie Greer discussed with the CPS middle school students on Jan. 23.

Sketchbook Spectacular is a FREE art initiative open to artists of all ages in the Chelmsford community and beyond. All mediums are welcome, including drawing, watercolor and collage. Participants are encouraged to explore prompts in their sketchbooks, but the prompts can also inspire free-standing artwork. Developed by Parker Middle School artist-educator Ashley Norman, this project is perfect for starting or maintaining an art practice throughout the year. Want to share your work? Email your art to normana@chelmsford.k12.ma.us.

To redeem School Dollars, all shoppers need to do is enter the unique printout code and store number on the Hannaford Helps Schools program website and select their school. Each School Dollar printout has a QR code that will bring shoppers directly to this link, ensuring that redeeming School Dollars is as easy as possible. Please note that the in-store collection tower has been eliminated. However, schools will be able to turn in School Dollar printouts.

This year, Massachusetts is offering all school lunch and breakfast at no charge to students. This does not automatically make families eligible for any other benefits. Families that feel they are eligible for transportation or extended day reduced tuition are strongly encouraged to fill out the online free and reduced meal application.

Chelmsford High School’s two a cappella groups, The Thursdays and The Crescendos, are vying for a wild card berth to the International Championship of High School A Cappella (ICHSA) Finals in New York City next month.

During the semifinal round of the competition, The Thursdays placed second and The Crescendos placed third. The first-place group wins an automatic bid to the finals, while the groups that place second and third are eligible for a wild card spot.

Read more about the groups and their quest for the ICHSA Finals on our website.

Local election season is here, and three candidates are running for two seats on the Chelmsford School Committee.

Incumbents John Moses and Maria Santos are running to retain their seats against challenger Doreen Deshler in the April 1 town election.

Each of the candidates participated in a March 19 candidate forum organized by the Chelmsford Democratic Town Committee, and each spoke about their candidacy separately with The Sun.

Continue reading at LowellSun.com.

In December 2020, Chelmsford High Athletic Director Dan Hart was in panic mode. He needed a last-minute girls varsity basketball coach.

Fortunately, a big fish agreed to become the interim coach for that season. That big fish stayed on for four more years and guided the Lions to their first Merrimack Valley Conference Division 1 title and an overall 16-5 record this past winter.

On Tuesday morning, Mike Crowley decided to step down.

Continue reading at LowellSun.com.

The Little East Conference has announced its weekly honorees in baseball and UMass Dartmouth student-athlete Brett Baker was recognized.

The junior center fielder was named the conference’s Player of the Week after an outstanding effort that saw him help lift the Corsairs to a 3-1 week, including a doubleheader sweep to open their LEC schedule.

Baker, who hails from Chelmsford, batted .615 last week as a starter in all four games.

Continue reading at LowellSun.com.

The Chelmsford Public Schools utilizes SchoolSpring to advertise job postings and the online application process. To apply for any of our positions, please visit our website.

The CPS Health Services Department is committed to providing evidence-based/ best practice holistic nursing care to the unique, culturally diverse students of Chelmsford Public Schools. In collaboration with all stakeholders, we advocate for their safety and healthcare needs. We are dedicated professionals who are committed to bridging health care with education and making a positive impact on the present and future wellness of Chelmsford’s school community. Please visit the Health Services page on the website for all your health services needs.

These virtual events are part of Cartwheel's free webinar series for parents, caregivers and school staff.

Sometimes, big feelings can take over a household. Sometimes they're our kids' feelings, and sometimes they're our own!

Join Cartwheel and Janine Halloran, LMHC for a webinar to learn practical tips on how to help kids and teens cope with big feelings.

By starting from a foundation of connection and co-regulation, Janine will provide strategies you can teach your kids (and yourself) for noticing, welcoming, and neutralizing big emotions before they take over the household. Attend this webinar if you are hopeful for more peace and patience and less arguing in your home.

Register here.

More than 75 colleges and universities sent representatives to Chelmsford High School this fall to meet with students interested in continuing their education at a post-secondary institution. To learn more, check out the College Visit Schedule.

Follow the CHS Career and College Readiness Center on Instagram: @chs.careercenter

Here are some noteworthy events and activities taking place around Chelmsford in the coming weeks:

There are a plethora of local youth sports and scouting organizations that hold fundraisers and recruiting events throughout the school year. Some may also be seeking volunteers. If you're a parent looking for social and skill-building opportunities for your child or children, we have launched a new webpage devoted to just that. In addition to event information, this resource page will also feature links to all the websites or social media accounts for youth sports leagues and scouting troops. So head on over there and check it out!

Looking for information about the ongoing Parker Middle School Building Project? Visit our website to learn more and stay updated. And if you missed the public information session that was held in the spring, during which Superintendent Dr. Jay Lang shared a plethora of information, view it here:

Chelmsford High School has a cashless system for admittance to its regular season home athletic events. To get your tickets, CHS has partnered with GoFan.co, a digital, cashless ticketing app used by more than 10,000 schools, for fast and convenient payments for regular season home games. CHS fans are encouraged to download the GoFan app. For Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association postseason tournaments, the MIAA also utilizes GoFan.co as its own ticketing system. Visit the MIAA Ticket Information page.

The mission of the Chelmsford Public Schools is to educate, engage, prepare, and empower well-rounded and knowledgeable learners who PERSEVERE through challenges, demonstrate RESPECT and INTEGRITY in their words and actions, are DEDICATED to their community, and display EMPATHY as global citizens while discovering and pursuing their full potential.

Email: information@chelmsford.k12.ma.us
Website: https://chelmsfordschools.org
Location: 230 North Road, Chelmsford, MA, USA
Phone: (978) 251-5100
Facebook: facebook.com/chelmsfordpublicschools

Instagram: @chelmsfordpublicschools X: @CPSchoolsMA