South Row's Home Link
Week of: August 26th, 2024
Message from the Principals
We are so excited to welcome everyone back. We embrace collaboration and partnering with families and sincerely look forward to working with all of you this coming year.
Have a wonderful weekend!
Respectfully,
Terri and Jayson =)
Important Links
Please be sure to take the time to review the Back to School Resource Guide, First Day Frequently Asked Questions, and Arrival and Dismissal Information if you have not had a chance to do so yet.
Back to School Resource Guide
First Day Frequently Asked Questions
Arrival and Dismissal Visuals
Complete Transportation Form (if you haven't yet)
Week at a Glance ~ Week of August 26th
Monday, August 26th
- All Staff Reports to School ~ Staff Professional Development & Set Up
- Medication Drop Off: Nurse Shannon Vandevoordt will hold medication drop-offs on Monday, August 26th from 1:30--3:30pm. Please visit the health page for additional information and medication forms at https://chelmsfordschools.org/departments/health-services/health-forms/. If you were unable to drop off on 8/23 or 8/26, please email Nurse Vandevoordt to schedule a time.
- **Please be advised (should you be contacting the school) that we have a building staff meeting from 11:15am-12:30pm. This meeting includes our secretarial staff.**
Tuesday, August 27th
- First Day of School for Students (Grades 1 -4)
- Passport Expectations, Gr. 1-4
- Kindergarten Visitation - Students will have an opportunity to meet their teacher, see the classroom, and receive reminders from teachers and administration for the first day of school. This visitation is no longer than an hour.
Details for Kindergarten Visitation:
- Last names A - L report at 10:00AM
- Last names M-Z report at 1:30PM
- Meet in the front of the building (by main office door - sign in at tables)
- Park in aldersgate church back parking lot
- Students must come with an adult to visitation (transportation NOT provided by CPS)
- The visitation will be approx. 1 hour
- **Students will be given South Row T-shirts compliments of the PTO at visitation.
Wednesday, August 28th
First Day for Kindergarten Students
- It is recommended that parents have students travel to school how they will be traveling throughout the year
- All kindergarten students will report to the gym on the first day
- Staff will be on site to get students to this location regardless on how they are arriving
- Parents that wish to say good bye or get pictures at the school may do so in the gymnasium
Friday, August 30th
- No School - Labor Day Weekend
Looking ahead...
Monday, September 2nd
- No School - Labor Day
- School Resumes K-4
Wednesday, September 4th
- Gr K Bus Expectations w/ Admin
Thursday, September 5th
- Gr. 1 Bus Expectations w/ Admin
Friday, September 6th
- No events
Monday, September 9th
- Student Grade Level Meetings w/ Mrs. Gilbert & Mr. Ramalho
- Kindness Matters Spirit Day - Students and staff encouraged to wear kindness shirts and/or complete a kind act
- PTO Board Meeting, 6:30pm
- PTO Meeting, 7:00pm
Tuesday, September 10th
- No events
Wednesday, September 11th
- No events
Thursday, September 12th
- No events
Friday, September 13th
- No events
Monday, September 16th
- Admin Check-In on Expectations w/ Grades 2-4 Students (Review Bus, Recess, and Lunch)
Tuesday, September 17th
- No events
Wednesday, September 18th
- Early Release Day - Students dismissed at 11:45am
Thursday, September 19th
- Curriculum Night (Open House)
- 5 – 5:25 pm: Principal/Assistant Principal Presentation- Cafeteria (3 and 4 families)
- 5:30 – 6:15pm: Grades 3 and 4 Teacher Presentations
- 6:15 – 7:00 pm: Specialists/ Reading/ support providers available in classrooms/offices
- 7 – 7:25pm: Principal/ Assistant Principal Presentation- Cafeteria (K, 1, and 2 families- same as the admin first presentation )
- 7:30 – 8:15pm: Grades K, 1, and 2 Teacher Presentations
Friday, September 20th
- No events
Monday, September 23rd
- No events
Tuesday, September 24th
- No events
Wednesday, September 25th
- No events
Thursday, September 26th
- No events
Friday, September 27th
- Chelmsford/South Row School Spirit Day
Monday, September 20th
- No events
Reminders and Updates
Student Supplies: As a reminder, Dr. Lang has purchased student supplies for SY24-25 for all students. At this point, parents do not need to plan to purchase supplies. If you are interested in donating supplies to the classroom please reach out to your teacher(s).
Car Drop Off/Pick Up: This process will be the same as last year. Please view your arrival and pick-up times below. For those new to South Row, please review the visuals to help you understand the process (linked above).
ARRIVAL:
- A-K - 8:45- 8:50 and L-Z- 8:50-8:55.
DISMISSAL:
- A-K - 3:05-3:10 and L-Z- 3:10-3:18.
Please note: These times could change slightly as we navigate the first few days of school.
Food Services: This year Massachusetts is offering all school lunch and breakfast at no charge to students. This year, families DO NOT need to register online for their child to enjoy breakfast. Students will be given the option each day. If you DO NOT want your child to participate in the breakfast program (OPT OUT), please be sure to communicate this information to your child's teacher. If you decide to opt out, please also have a conversation with your child. This will be a tremendous help.
Although breakfast and lunch is free, this does not automatically make families eligible for any other benefits. We strongly encourage families that feel they are eligible for transportation or extended day reduced tuition to fill out the online free and reduced meal application. The links can be found below.
If you do qualify for benefits you most likely will be eligible for SNAP benefits.
Some examples of SNAP benefits are discounts on gas, electric utilities and internet services.
Bus Registration Information (From Transportation Department)
Information pertaining to school bus transportation may be found on the Chelmsford Public Schools website at the following link: https://www.chelmsford.k12.ma.us/domain/90. Also, please see the attached flyer and registration directions for more details. It is very important that every student is registered to ride the bus regardless of if there is a fee. Registering now allows the transportation department to begin building routes for optimum efficiency, and if you are required to pay a fee, it saves you money by registering now.
A few reminders about student transportation:
- ALL STUDENTS who desire to ride the school bus to or from school MUST REGISTER EVERY YEAR, even if they are not required to pay a fee.
- ALL REGISTRATIONS AND PAYMENTS are processed ONLINE using MySchoolBucks.
- When registering, each student must be entered separately in MySchoolBucks. This means for families with more than one child riding the bus, a registrationmust be completed for each child.
- MySchoolBucks will provide assistance for using their on-line registration system if needed during the registration process. MySchoolBucks may be reached directly at (855) 832-5226.
- Registrations requesting financial assistance must also apply for and be approved for the free and reduced lunch program. Please email your award letter to the transportation department.
REGISTRATION PROCESS
You will need to look up each student in MySchoolBucks and add each student to your account. Looking each student up will require name and LASID or birthdate. Each student must be registered separately. New students to the district please allow 24 hours prior to registering on MySchoolBucks after completing the required school registration process.
Bus Passes: Please expect to receive bus passes in the mail the week of Monday, August 19th. Any questions on bus registration, please click on this link: https://chelmsfordschools.org/departments/transportation/
Bus Reminder: Students are not permitted to switch buses, and are only permitted to ride what is printed on their bus pass.
Visiting the Building:
- Late Arrivals and Dismissals: If your child is arriving late or being dismissed, we kindly ask you to buzz into the main office. A staff member will either come out to get your child or bring them to you. If you know you will be late or picking up early, we kindly ask you to inform the main office staff (Debbie and Kim) by email as well as the classroom teacher.
- If you have an appointment in the school, are volunteering, or are dropping off something your child, our secretarial staff will buzz you into the building. Please make sure you label any items you are dropping off with student first/last name and teacher, if possible.
- Please report changes in dismissal to the main office by 2:30pm
Student Expectations:
- During the first few weeks of school, our students will be learning about school-wide expectations based on our school-wide passport.
- Expectations will be taught for each location in the building
- During the first (2) weeks of school, students will travel with their assigned recess aide to various outdoor locations at recess time. This opportunity is designed for our aides to develop relationships with their students, teach expectations for all locations, and allow students to develop positive relationships with their classroom peers.
Volunteering: If you are interested in volunteering in our school (should an opportunity present itself) please be sure to contact Mrs. O'Neill or Mrs. Sepe to make an appointment to fill out a CORI form. All volunteers must have a CORI on file to volunteer.
Save the Date!
FIRST PTO Meeting ~ SEPTEMBER 9th, 2024, 7:00pm, Cafeteria
- Curriculum Night: Curriculum Night will take place on Thursday, September 19th
- 5 – 5:25 pm: Principal/Assistant Principal Presentation- Cafeteria (3 and 4 families)
- 5:30 – 6:15pm: Grades 3 and 4 Teacher Presentations
- 6:15 – 7:00 pm: Specialists/ Reading/ support providers available in classrooms/offices
- 7 – 7:25pm: Principal/ Assistant Principal Presentation- Cafeteria (K, 1, and 2 families- same as the admin first presentation )
- 7:30 – 8:15pm: Grades K, 1, and 2 Teacher Presentations
Nurses Corner
PTO Corner
Connections Calendar
September Connections Calendar - Feedback
Parent Resources and Support
Parent Resources and Support Button
**Please note: We continuously update the button below with new resources as they arise.
Food Services Corner
This section is comprised of the following items pertaining to food services
- Website
- Breakfast Information
- Tentative Breakfast/Lunch Menus
Tentative Breakfast and Lunch Menus
SOUTH ROW'S PHOTOS OF THE WEEK
A sneak peak at some of the bulletin boards
Importance of Attendance
Contact the South Row Administrative Team!
Principal
Mr. Jayson Ramalho, M.Ed.
Assistant Principal
Email: gilbertt@chelmsford.k12.ma.us
Website: https://www.chelmsford.k12.ma.us/Domain/15
Location: 250 Boston Road, Chelmsford, MA, USA
Phone: 978-251-5177
Facebook: facebook.com/SouthRowElementary
Twitter: @CPSSouthRow
Contact the Main Office Staff
- Mrs. Terri Gilbert, Principal: gilbertt@chelmsford.k12.ma.us, 978-251-5177 ext. 4
- Mr. Jayson Ramalho, Assistant Principal: ramalhoj@chelmsford.k12.ma.us, 978-251-5177 ext. 3
- Mrs. Shannon Vandevoordt, School Nurse: vandevoordts@chelmsford.k12.ma.us, 978-251-5177, ext.2
- Mrs. Debbie O'Neill, Secretary: oneilld@chelmsford.k12.ma.us, 978-251-5177, ext. 0
- Mrs. Kim Sepe, School Clerk: sepek@chelmsford.k12.ma.us, 978-251-5177, ext.0
- Absentee Line: 978-251-5177 ext. 1