CPS Superintendent's Update

Dear CPS Community,

I hope you all had a wonderful week as we welcomed the rainy month of April.

Paraeducator Appreciation Day was this past Wednesday, and we couldn’t be more thankful for the incredible paras we have in our district. These hard working and dedicated individuals provide invaluable support to our students, forming strong, trusting relationships that help children thrive. Often the first warm smile that greets students in the morning, our paraeducators work tirelessly to support them academically, behaviorally and socially throughout the day. Their impact is immeasurable, and we simply couldn’t do what we do without them. Please join me in thanking our paraeducators for all they do to make our school community a better place!

Courtesy of the Chelmsford Council of Chelmsford Schools, Digital Health & Safety expert Katie Greer Katie Greer is returning next week for some discussions with our high school students and rising fifth graders. She will again offer a session for parents/guardians at 7:00 p.m. that night in the CHS Performing Arts Center. While much of Ms. Greer’s work is directed to a younger audience, she acknowledges that many adults are mystified by the digital world in which we live. For this reason, she offers a program that helps parents navigate the new normal of technology, helping them better understand its boundaries – and opportunities.

Chelmsford Community Education’s Summer Programs have opened for registration. There are a plethora of wonderful programs for youths, including SummerFest and SummerQuest. Make sure to check out the course catalog to see all the offerings available and get your family registered for some great summer activities!

Sign-ups for the 4th Annual Youth Police Academy will open next week at www.chelmsfordpal.com. There will be two weeklong sessions this summer – July 21-25 for fifth and sixth graders and August 4-8 for seventh and eighth graders. Activities include physical fitness, defensive tactics, cyber safety, CPR, motor vehicle law, K9 units, a drone unit, mental health and much more. The academy, which is free, serves as a great opportunity for our middle school students to learn more about what Chelmsford Police officers do on a daily basis. See the flyer included in this newsletter for more information.

Have a great weekend and stay dry!

Yours truly,

Jay Lang, Ed.D.

Superintendent of Schools

• Athletics Schedule
• South Row Multicultural Festival: Saturday, April 5, 1-3 p.m., South Row Elementary School
• Digital Health & Safety Presentation by Katie Greer: Tuesday, April 8, 7 p.m., CHS PAC
• Harrington STEAM Fair: Tuesday, April 15, 6:30 p.m., Harrington Elementary School
• Buddies vs. Badges Basketball Game: Tuesday, April 15, 6:30 p.m., McCarthy Middle School Gym
• School Committee Meeting: Tuesday, April 15, 7 p.m. Central Administration Offices
• Good Friday: Friday, April 18 - No School
• April Vacation: Monday, April 21-Friday, April 25
• Monday, April 28: Classes Resume

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.

Several CPS students in grades 4-6 were selected to participate in last weekend's All State Treble Chorus Festival, and had the opportunity to perform in a choir with 180 students from around the state. The chorus was led by internationally renowned composer and conductor Jim Papoulis. Parker Chorus teacher Martha Robertson was the Concert Coordinator and Center music teacher Chris McGillicuddy was the Assistant Concert Coordinator for the festival.

Third and fourth-grade students at Byam Elementary School were recently introduced to VEXcode VR and were immediately engaged by the virtual environment and the opportunity to control a robot through code. Starting with basic movement commands, the students gradually explored how sequencing, loops and logic can guide the robot through various challenges. This process has helped them develop perseverance and critical thinking as they debugged their code and celebrated small victories—like getting the robot to turn correctly or complete a maze. This hands-on digital experience not only introduced them to the foundational concepts of robotics, but also helped reinforce computational thinking and problem-solving skills.

Six seniors were recently honored as Chelmsford High School named its Lions Pride/Rotary Student of the Month recipients for March. They are Kathleen Doherty and Munawaru Kayemba from Emerson House, Chloe Arroco and Nathan Nguyen of Hawthorne House and Jayden Pacheco and Marco Lombardo from Whittier House.

Read more about these students and their successes on our website.

Click on the image below to check out the April 2025 edition of The Voice!

Chelmsford Community Education's Summer 2025 Programming is now open for registration!

This season, we have several new youth classes including:

• Minecraft Innovators
• Coding & Game Design
• Music Production 101
• Inventor's Workshop
• Ellixi Beauty Product Creators Laboratory

... along with a selection of classes and day trips for adults!

Visit ChelmsfordCommunityEd.com for our full list of programming and like us on Facebook (Chelmsford Community Education) and Instagram (@commedwestlands) to learn about new class announcements as they happen.

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 Model United Nations Club sent 12 delegates to the UMass Lowell Model UN 2025, which was held March 27-29.

The three-day conference was attended by nearly 200 students from 15 schools.

The CHS team was awarded top honors by being named UML MUN Best Delegation 2025. This award is a nod to the students’ understanding of global issues, strategic planning and public speaking. It is well-deserved and we are proud of them all.

Read more about this event on our website.

School Committee incumbents Maria Santos and John Moses both won reelection to their respective seats against challenger Doreen Deshler in Tuesday’s local election.

Santos was the top vote-getter in this race with 3,149 votes according to the unofficial tally released by the Town Clerk’s Office. Moses received 2,905 votes while Deshler received 1,200.

In a phone call Monday morning, Moses said he was “grateful to the people of the town of Chelmsford.”

Santos said in a Wednesday morning phone call she was also “extremely grateful” to the Chelmsford voters and appreciative of the support. This will be Santos’ third term, and she said this race felt a little different from past elections, as she sensed a level of division that hadn’t been present before.

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