CPS Superintendent's Update

Dear CPS Community,

What an incredible start to the 2024-25 school year we had this past week. It was so great seeing all the students’ smiling faces and to hear their voices and laughter echoing through the halls of each of our buildings once again. I hope you are all as excited as I am about getting back into the swing of things this fall as we begin another school year together.

It was a delight to welcome all of our staff (including nearly 40 new teachers, counselors and special educators), students and families back to CPS this past week. It was especially exciting to welcome our new kindergarten and pre-school students as they begin their educational journey with us! Our staff worked very hard to prepare our buildings and classrooms to be ready to greet students upon their arrival this year. Teachers and building administrators spent countless hours preparing our schools for the return of students.

Our custodians and facilities staff worked incredibly hard this summer to clean and prepare our buildings for the return of students this past week. This was a particularly busy summer, with lots of projects taking place throughout the district. Some of the bigger projects included the renovation of the front entrance at McCarthy Middle School with a new storefront door and cement walkway. A vestibule was also added to the building - similar to what is in place at the high school - which will improve security at McCarthy.

The high school saw several projects taking place over the summer, including the renovation of the art wing, which went from an open plan to five beautiful classrooms. The tennis and basketball courts at CHS are still under construction, as is the kitchen. The Parker Middle School gym floor has been replaced and looks beautiful. And the lightning protection system that the district received generous funding for from the state was installed at South Row Elementary School. Other projects, including rooftop replacement for the modular classrooms at Parker Middle School, kitchen floor replacement at Byam and boiler replacement at Harrington and Community Education, have also taken place. Needless to say, we accomplished a tremendous amount in just eight weeks, and I look forward to you seeing all these wonderful improvements.

Although it was a short welcome-back week, we are headed into the long weekend. As a reminder, there is no school for all students today or on Monday, Sept. 2. School will resume on Tuesday, Sept. 3, after the Labor Day weekend. If you have not done so already and desire your child(ren) to ride the big yellow school bus to and from school, please be sure to register as soon as possible. Information on how to register is provided below in the newsletter. Again, welcome back to school and another exciting year in the Chelmsford Public Schools. Please take time to review news from the summer and enjoy pictures of activities from the past week in the newsletter below. Please enjoy the long weekend; we are going to have a great 2024-25 school year in Chelmsford!

Yours truly,

Jay Lang, Ed.D.

Superintendent of Schools

• Athletics Schedule
• No School - Monday, Sept. 2 (Labor Day)
• School Committee Meeting: Tuesday, Sept. 10, 6 p.m., Central Administration Office
• "Come From Away" film screening: Monday, Sept. 9, 6 p.m., CHS PAC (sponsored by the Middle School PTOs)
  
• Creating Chelmsford's Future Community Kickoff Event: Wednesday, Sept. 18, 5:30 p.m., Chelmsford Elks Lodge
• Chelmsford Health Department's Fall Festival: Saturday, Sept. 28, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Town Common

As our schools reopen, this is a final reminder that 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.

Each year, the schools hold an open house for families to visit and learn more about what students are learning at school. Please mark your calendars with these dates to visit your child(ren)'s schools!

Chelmsford High School musicians returned to campus early to participate in Band Camp the week of Aug. 20-23. It was music to our ears!

School is back in session for the 2024-25 academic year and elementary students are already unleashing their creativity in art and music classes.

To kick off AP Environmental Science classes, CHS students spent some time exploring the Science Pond.

Nearly 40 new teachers, counselors and special educators joined the Chelmsford Public Schools team for the 2024-25 academic year. We are so glad they are here!

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.

Dr. Danja Mahoney has been hired as the new Department Coordinator of World Language and Cultural Exchanges at Chelmsford Public Schools. Dr. Mahoney, who officially started on July 1, comes to CPS from Reading Public Schools, where she served as both a World Language teacher and Department Chair. She brings a depth of experience as a leader and teacher who is passionate about building thriving language programming and increasing access to high-quality learning for all students. Please visit our website to read more about Dr. Mahoney.

Katherine Richard has been hired as the new K-12 Mathematics Department Coordinator at Chelmsford Public Schools. Richard comes to CPS from Andover Public Schools, where she served as the Mathematics Program Coordinator. She said she was “particularly drawn to Chelmsford because of the district’s reputation for excellence and commitment to teaching all students.” Please visit our website to read more about Katherine.

Over the summer, several middle school students had the opportunity to get some hands-on experience in law enforcement courtesy of the Chelmsford Police Department. The Chelmsford Police Youth Academy is organized by the School Resource Officers and sponsored by the Chelmsford Police Athletic League (CPAL). This year, two separate versions of the academy were held, one catered to students going into fifth and sixth grade and the other for those entering seventh and eighth grade. Please visit our website to read more about this summer's academy.

The McCarthy and Parker Middle School PTOs are sponsoring a free screening of the Broadway musical “Come From Away” for Chelmsford families. The screening will take place on Monday, Sept. 9, from 6 to 9 p.m. in the Carl J. Rondina Performing Arts Center at Chelmsford High School. "Come From Away" tells the story of 38 planes – carrying 7,000 passengers – that were forced to land in Gander, Newfoundland, Canada when United States airspace was shut down on Sept. 11, 2001. Please visit our website to learn more about this event and to register.

Fifty local youths, ages 7-13, took part in the inaugural Nik Sperounis All Sports Camp at Chelmsford High School from July 15-18. The four-day camp was held in memory of 2023 Chelmsford High School graduate Nik Sperounis, who lost his battle with Angiosarcoma on June 18, 2023, at the age of 18. Mr. Sperounis was a three-sport captain who loved the competition and camaraderie of team athletics. Visit our website to learn more about the camp.

Track and field is a fairly compartmentalized sport, consisting of many different sports under a larger umbrella. Though there is a large difference between the two halves of that umbrella, the “track” and “field” athletes on a team usually have no problem supporting each other. Chelmsford High rising senior and distance runner Xavier May, 17, took that support to another level. May is a member of Scout Troop 75 of Chelmsford, and is in the middle of his candidacy for Eagle Scout, which he hopes to attain this fall. As part of the process of becoming an Eagle Scout, one must conduct some sort of project, usually in the form of building something.

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.

Chelmsford Community Education's Fall programming begins on Monday, Sept. 9, and registration is open!

This season will include many new youth classes like Shark Tank Jr., Teen Yoga, Paint Sampler for Kids, Kidding Around Yoga and Adventures in Drawing, along with favorites such as App Inventors, Circuit Makers 101, Kids' Test Kitchen and Chess for Kids. There are also a variety of cooking, baking and crafting classes for adults.

Visit ChelmsfordCommunityEd.com to view the full catalog of programming and like the Facebook page (Chelmsford Community Education) to stay up-to-date on new class announcements as they happen.

More than 60 colleges and universities will be sending representatives to Chelmsford High School this fall to meet with students interested in continuing their education at a post-secondary institution. Please see the College Visit Schedule for more details.

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

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.

Here are just a few 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