Dear CPS Community,

Vacation week is here! There will be no school next week, April 15th - 19th. School will resume Monday, April 22nd. Although next week is school vacation, it is important to note next Monday, April 15th is Patriots’ Day. Patriots’ Day is a holiday celebrated in six states including Massachusetts, Maine, Florida, Wisconsin, Connecticut, and North Dakota. Patriots' Day commemorates the start of the American Revolution, marked by the battles of Lexington, Concord, and Menotomy and the events following the famous "shot heard 'round the world." The holiday was originally celebrated on April 19 (the anniversary of the battles), but since 1969 it has been held on the third Monday each April. For more than a century, Patriots' Day has been celebrated in Massachusetts. Each year, history is brought to life through reenactments, parades and more. If you are looking for ways to celebrate Patriots’ Day, the National Park Service has provided a list of events happening on Monday. Please enjoy both your time off and celebrating Patriot’s Day next week.

This week we bid “adios” to several Chelmsford High School (CHS) students who are participating in travel opportunities to Almeria, Spain and Buenos Aires and Iguazú, Argentina for a continuation of our cultural exchange program and a club trip to experience traveling abroad and learning about other cultures. Our cultural exchange program kicked off this fall with students from Almeria, Spain, coming to Chelmsford to stay with their host families and experiencing how our high school students learn at CHS. CHS partnered with Wilmington High School to host both students and educators, culminating with a trip for our students to stay and experience learning with their host families in Almeria, Spain. Next year, our cultural exchange program will include partnering with our sister school in La Rochelle, France. The cultural exchange program and vacation week trips are fun experiences for students. CHS is excited to offer these and other travel opportunities to students so they may experience a variety of cultures during their high school years.

As a reminder, we will be holding a second kindergarten registration day for families who have an incoming kindergarten student for the 2024/25 school year on Thursday, April 25th from 9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. If you were unable to attend the first registration day in January, please be sure to sign up for an appointment at your designated school. I encourage you to share this information with families you know who have their first child eligible to enroll in kindergarten for the 2024/25 school year. Completing the registration process during these registration dates provides us with accurate enrollment numbers to help plan for students prior to the beginning of the school year. Thank you in advance for your support. For more information about registration and contact information, please visit the kindergarten registration page on our website.

Please enjoy this week’s highlights. I wish you a fun and relaxing vacation week. I look forward to seeing you upon your return on Monday, April 22nd.

Yours truly,

Jay Lang, Ed.D.

Superintendent of Schools

• Athletics Schedule
• School Vacation Week, 4/15 - 4/19, All Day
• Patriots' Day, 4/15, All Day
• Youth Mental Health First Aid Training, 4/18, 9:00 a.m.
• Children's Play Production Week, 4/22 - 4/26, After School
• School Committee Meeting, 4/23, 6:00 p.m.
  
• Kindergarten Registration, 4/25, 9:00 a.m.

• Instrument Test Drive, 4/27, 9:00 a.m.

WHEN:

• Next: Thursday, April 25, 2024, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Past: Tuesday and Wednesday, January 30 & 31, 2024, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

• Reserve your appointment here

WHERE:

• Chelmsford Public Schools Central Administration Office, 230 North Road, Chelmsford, MA.

STIPULATIONS:

• Children entering kindergarten must be 5 years of age on or before August 31, 2024.
• Parents/guardians must complete the Google form above with contact information and preferred appointment time (appointments take approximately 15 minutes) within a three-hour window.
• A staff member will follow-up with each parent to confirm date and time of appointment.

For more registration information, please visit our website.

Students in grades 8 and 11 will be participating in an Action Civics Project throughout the months of May and June. 11th grade students in our Modern United States History course will learn about public policy, the research process, and how to take informed and effective action in their community throughout the school year. 8th grade students will spend the 4th quarter focused on similar elements while conducting research for their version of the project. This process ensures that we are embedding not only in the study of civics but also the opportunity to engage in our community in a variety of ways. As part of the project, students may need to connect with decision makers and community members. If you work in our town government or with a local community organization or business, you may receive communications from students in the coming weeks and months. We wanted to let you know in advance as we would very much appreciate any time and support you might be able to provide. For more information about the CPS Civics Projects, please visit our Social Science website.

Junior Sophia Roy is quickly becoming one of the most decorated Speech and Debate team members ever at Chelmsford High School. In the coming weeks, she will be competing in three different national finals for competitive speaking in hopes of adding to her resume. Before going on the national circuit, Ms. Roy took part in the Massachusetts Speech & Debate League’s State Speech & Congress Tournament on Saturday, April 6. She participated in the Original Oratory and Informative Speaking events, placing first in Oratory. Ms. Roy said she found her passion for competitive speaking after taking the Speech and Debate class her freshman year and participating in informative speaking events. Please visit our website to read more about these speaking competitions.

This past weekend, CPS music students participated in the prestigious Massachusetts Instrumental and Choral Conductors (MICCA) Festival, where they performed challenging music for a panel of adjudicators and were led in workshops by respected clinicians in the field. Our CPS ensembles are the recipients of one bronze, two silver, and one gold medal this year!

• Parker Band, Directed by Eric Linsner: Bronze Medal
• Parker Orchestra, Directed by Lisa Tiano: Silver Medal
• McCarthy Orchestra, Directed by Lucas Miller: Silver Medal
• Grade 6-12 All Town Wind Ensemble, Directed by Vincent DeStefano and Matthew Sexauer: Gold Medal

Our students’ success at this year’s event not only represents the culmination of months of hard work on their repertoire, but also speaks to the quality of music education they have received from their music teachers while in Chelmsford music programs, starting with their elementary music educators and continuing at each level as students progress through the curriculum. Congratulations to these students and their music directors!

Kathleen Ralls is turning the pages on a half decade worth of memories, telling tales from the Chelmsford High female athlete’s perspective. The author’s latest book, “Voices of Title IX: Chelmsford High Girl Athletes and the Women They Became,” chronicles data collected from 150 athletes from the last 50 years, sharing their stories of triumph, resilience and empowerment.The project was a labor of love for Ralls, a 1996 Chelmsford High grad and Lions Hall of Famer.

Continue reading at LowellSun.com.

Former basketball star and current public speaker and wellness advocate Chris Herren will provide educational presentations to students in grades 8-12 at Chelmsford Public Schools on Tuesday, April 23. “We are excited to be hosting Chris Herren for the second time, as he spoke to our school community back in June 2012,” said Peggy Gump, Coordinator of Nursing Services for Chelmsford Public Schools. “The presentation was very well received by students, staff and parents. Chris has dedicated his life to helping get the message out to adolescents about the dangers of drug use and abuse.”

A standout basketball player from Fall River who made it to Division 1 College basketball (Boston College and Fresno State) and eventually the NBA, including the Boston Celtics, Mr. Herren became an addict during his playing days and nearly lost everything. With the unwavering support of his family and friends, Mr. Herren has been sober since Aug. 1, 2008, and he now shares his story with the goal of making a positive difference in the lives of others. Please visit our website to read more about Chris' story.

Chelmsford Community Education has new and exciting programs this summer like Robot Commanders, Riddle Rovers Escape Room, Plant Pioneers, Skyhawks Ultimate Sports, and AI (Artificial Intelligence) Adventures. Attached is a full catalog of all offerings.

Most of our programs are age or grade specific, so verify that your child’s age and grade information is correct before attempting to register. To update any incorrect information on your account, call us at 978-251-5151. To view Chelmsford Community Education’s summer programs, please visit Chelmsford Community Education.

Be sure to follow us on social media to keep up with the latest on all the fun at Chelmsford Community Education. Our Facebook page is “Chelmsford Community Education” and our Instagram page is “CommedWestlands.”

Questions? Contact us at Commed@Chelmsford.k12.ma.us or 978-251-5151. We can’t wait to see you this summer!!

The 2024 Parker Pride Run is scheduled for Sunday, May 19, 2024. Early bird special price $20 ends on April 20th. Registrations need to be submitted by April 20th in order to get an event t-shirt. Price increases to $25 April 21st through Race day. Please see the flyer for more information.

Chelmsford Public Schools held a public information session related to the Parker Middle School Building Project on Thursday, March 28. Superintendent Dr. Jay Lang shared a plethora of information about the project as the district moves into the Massachusetts School Building Authority‘s Eligibility Period on April 1. If you weren’t able to make it, please watch the video below.

Byam Art Night is Thursday, May 9th, 5:00-7:00pm!

Suggested time slots are K-2 5:00-6:00pm, and 3rd-4th 6:00-7:00pm, but please stop by anytime that works for your family. Every single child will have artwork displayed!

• View K-4 Artwork in the halls!
• Glow Gallery in the Art room!
• Complete an Art Scavenger Hunt for a chance to win a gift certificate!
• Check out the Scholastic Book Fair outside!

Make plans to celebrate the end of the school year: Take the family out to the ballgame! Your kids can join fellow students from both McCarthy and Parker to enjoy watching the Boston Red Sox play the Detroit Tigers on Thursday, May 30th at 7:10pm. Tickets are $40 per person with a portion of the proceeds benefiting both PTOs. Tickets are expected to sell out like last year so act fast to get in on the action! See the directions to get your tickets for this event.

Go to: https://givebutter.com/gMsmi9 to place your order.

Or, use the QR code below on the attached flyer.

Print out our flyer as your reminder!

NOTE: Tickets will be emailed to your MLB app directly in May!

Please see our list of open positions at the Chelmsford Public Schools. We would love for you to join our team.

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
Twitter: @ChelmsfordPS