CPS Superintendent's Update

Dear CPS Community,

February is flying by with vacation week already upon us. Beginning at the end of today, our schools will be closed for February vacation and will reopen Monday, February 24.

Our annual Community Read-In is coming up in just a couple weeks and the organizers are still looking for volunteers to read to our students. This longstanding tradition invites members of the greater community to visit our schools for about 20-30 minutes to read a book or two to a class in grades Pre-K through 6. These visits are incredibly special for our kids because they not only foster a sense of community but also instill in them the importance of reading. So, if you have some free time the week of March 3-7 and would like to read to some of our students, the sign up form can be found here.

Once again, we have welcomed our international Teaching Excellence and Achievement (TEA) Fulbright Scholars to the district. CHS and McCarthy Middle School are hosting 3 of the 22 fellows who are engaging in professional development and collaboration activities with their teacher hosts, as they gain insights into American teaching methods. This grant funded program, in partnership with UMass Lowell, fosters cross-cultural exchange and equips educators with the tools necessary to excel in their classrooms back home. UMass Lowell's commitment to excellence in education is reflected in its participation in this esteemed Fulbright initiative, and Chelmsford is proud to be a partner with UML in this program. All 22 Fulbright Scholars will attend our next school committee meeting on February 25 to observe a town committee meeting and share experiences from their time at the different schools. I hope you can tune in to learn more from the fellows directly.

February 15 is National School Resource Officer Appreciation Day. Our incredible SROs Ashley Rokas, Dan Sullivan and David Linstad act as liaisons between the school community and law enforcement. They serve our students and families by providing informal counseling, mentoring, education, and law enforcement roles to support our entire district. SROs have a diverse role and are invaluable, essential members of the education community in the pursuit of maintaining safe schools and protecting students. We are fortunate to have this partnership with the Chelmsford Police Department and very much appreciate the continued collaboration with CPD in support of our schools. Please join me in acknowledging the dedication and impact our SROs make each day in our schools.

I hope you all have a wonderful and restful break!

Yours truly,

Jay Lang, Ed.D.

Superintendent of Schools

• Athletics Schedule
• February Recess: Feb. 17-21, No School
• School Committee Meeting: Tuesday, Feb. 25, 6 p.m., Central Administration Offices
• South Row Science Fair: Wednesday, Feb. 26, 6:30 p.m., South Row Elementary School
• Instrument Test Drive: Saturday, March 1, 9 a.m., Chelmsford High School
• Community Read-In: March 3-7

If you missed the Feb. 4 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.

View more photos from Multicultural Night on our website.

Chelmsford High School Interact Club members visited the Chelmsford Senior Center on Tuesday, Feb. 11, to help local senior citizens with any "tech support" they needed. The students visit the Senior Center a few times throughout the year.

To see more photos from Binglo Night, visit our website.

Mrs. Fidler's 3rd Grade Technology students are using Scratch to code a rock band in their Programming Patterns unit, which is a part of PLTW (Project Lead the Way). Each instrument is coded to play a different sound, when clicked.

For the past 15 years, Choralfest has been a treasured tradition, and this year was no exception. It was amazing to see students collaborating, leading, and modeling for younger singers—many of whom will one day be the mentors themselves. The presence of so many high school volunteers, many of whom once stood in those younger students' shoes, is a testament to the lasting impact of this event and the music community our music educator team helps to foster.

The students and staff of Center Extended Day created Valentine's Day cards for the senior citizens who participate in the day program at the Chelmsford Senior Center. The cards were delivered on Wednesday morning and the staff of the senior center were beyond grateful to receive them.

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.

Chelmsford High School is seeking guest speakers to discuss their career journey with a group of Innovation Career Pathway students. CHS is looking for guest speakers in the following fields: Information Technology/Computer Science, Business & Finance, Life Science and Engineering/Manufacturing. If you have experience in any of these fields and are interested in sharing your career and career path with high school students, please reach out to Career and College Readiness Facilitator, Alex Cunningham at cunninghamalex@chelmsford.k12.ma.us.

* Click on image above for link to purchase tickets *

The Center School PTO is excited to announce the Taste of Chelmsford calendar raffle!

This year’s raffle will run in March, and has amazing prizes offered daily from area restaurants and businesses. Funds raised from the Taste directly support enrichment programs for students at Center.

Tickets are $25 and each ticket can win 31 times in March! All prizes are valued at $100 or more. Only 1,000 tickets will be sold, so get yours now before they sell out!

Purchase your raffle tickets today at: www.tasteofchelmsford.com.

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’s Community Read-In, a longstanding tradition of bringing community members into the schools to read to students, is returning March 3-7.

During the Community Read-In, volunteer readers visit with classes for about 20-30 minutes to read a book or two to students in grades Pre-K through 6.

“Our goal is to instill a love of reading in our kids, and to reach reluctant readers,” said Melissa McCaffrey, Byam PTO member and Community Read-In organizer.

Learn more about the Community Read-In on our website.

Uncertainty clouded over the career of North Chelmsford’s Jack Eichel the last time he stepped onto TD Garden ice for an NHL game some 35 miles from his hometown.

Stuck in his fifth season as a member of the scuffling Buffalo Sabres, Eichel’s last appearance on Causeway Street came on Dec. 29, 2019 — a 3-2 loss to the Boston Bruins that was status quo from an organization currently riding a 13-season playoff hiatus.

Eichel helped lift his team to a thrilling 4-3 come-from-behind victory more than five years later on Saturday, notching assists on both the tying and go-ahead goal in the third period to push the Vegas Golden Knights to victory over the Bruins on Causeway Street in front of many friends and family.

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.

The cold/flu season is upon us at Chelmsford Public Schools. We want to keep your children and our teachers healthy. Here are some ways we can work together to decrease the spread of illness.

• Use good hand hygiene and wash hands frequently.
• Cover coughs with a tissue or cough into sleeve not your hand.
• Keep your child home when sick (Symptoms such as fever cough, sore throat, bad headache, body aches, or chills)

• Keep your child home with a temperature of 100 degrees or higher. Your child can return to school after their temp is < 100 for 24 hours without any fever reducing medicine AND when your child is able to participate in normal activities.

• Keep your child home from school if they have vomiting and/or diarrhea. Your child can return to school 24 hours after his/her last vomiting and/or diarrhea episode.

Any symptoms that persist or worsen should be evaluated by a primary care physician. Please notify our offices if your student is diagnosed with the flu by their doctor.

In addition to academics, we know students are very busy with sports and activities. Please do not send your student to school sick! This is for your child’s benefit and for the benefit of other students, teammates, and staff.

**** It is not too late to get the Flu Vaccine****

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