CPS Superintendent's Update

Dear CPS Community,

I hope you all had a wonderful week and have been enjoying the winter concerts our exceptionally talented student musicians have been performing.

I am happy to report that the district is advancing to the next phase in the building project process for Parker Middle School. Earlier today, the Massachusetts School Building Authority’s Board of Directors invited the Town of Chelmsford to collaborate with the MSBA in conducting a feasibility study. We were originally not anticipated to be on the board’s agenda until February. But because we have already performed all the milestones required during the eligibility period, including the vote to appropriate funds for the feasibility study, the decision was made to move us onto the next phase. This is great news, and we are excited to be moving forward with this incredibly important project.

Congratulations are in order for some of our STEM students at Chelmsford High School. Obinna Onyemauwa, Wilson Ochie and Kensmyth Taveras are the winners of the Third Congressional District’s annual Congressional App Challenge. The “Ecosense” app they developed teaches users about their community’s water quality levels and local ecosystems. Harshit Masalawala, Ryan Kashikar and Swayam Sahoo have been selected as state finalists in the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow national STEM design competition. They have been working to build a system that will help blind people navigate around obstacles using ultrasonic proximity sensors and tactile feedback devices mounted to a wearable belt. Please join me in giving these students a well-deserved round of applause!

The season of giving is in full swing, and our schools have been holding numerous donation drives for some great causes. The Chelmsford High School Student Council is holding a Gifts for Teens drive in order to bring holiday cheer to teenagers in the community who may not have the opportunity to receive new gifts this season. They’re seeking new and unused items teenagers can use and appreciate like water bottles, hats, sports balls, jewelry, sweatshirts, and the like. A donation bin will be located in the vestibule at the main entrance through Dec. 19.

South Row Elementary School is collecting toiletries, including shampoo, deodorant, toothpaste and diaper cream, as well as adult gloves and children’s mittens for The Wish Project. Donation boxes will be in the main lobby at the school until Dec. 19. And the Share the Warmth hat, mitten and glove drive, also for The Wish Project, is ongoing at Harrington Elementary School. The donation bin will be accessible in the lobby until Dec. 17.

I hope you all have a relaxing weekend as we move into the final week of school for 2024.

Yours truly,

Jay Lang, Ed.D.

Superintendent of Schools

• Athletics Schedule
• Chelmsford Community Band's Holiday Concert: Sunday, Dec. 15, 2 p.m., McCarthy Middle School Auditorium
• All-Town Wind Ensemble Concert: Monday, Dec. 16, 7 p.m., CHS PAC
• School Committee: Tuesday, Dec. 17, 6 p.m. Central Administration Offices
• Parker and McCarthy Middle School Band Concert: Tuesday, Dec. 17, 7 p.m., CHS PAC
• Parker and McCarthy Middle School Orchestra Concert: Thursday, Dec. 19, 7 p.m., CHS PAC
  

The Chelmsford Public School Committee will meet on Tuesday, Dec. 17, at 6 p.m. at the Central Administration Offices, 230 North Road. The meeting can be viewed on Comcast channel 6 or Verizon channel 37. It will also be live-streamed by Chelmsford Telemedia here.

The agenda for Tuesday's meeting can be found here.

And if you missed the Dec. 3 School Committee meeting, watch it here:

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.

Order the 2025 CHS yearbook online here or by calling 1-877-767-5217. Still need a photographer?

CHS is partnering with O’Connor Studios of Tewksbury located at 1348 Main St., Tewksbury, MA, 01876; and Creative By O’Connor of Leominster, located at 98 Adams St., Leominster, MA, 01453. Pricing starts at $30 per session, which includes six studio indoor/outdoor poses. Contact O’Connor Studios.

For more information on the collection of senior portraits and baby/early childhood photos, visit the CHS 2025 Yearbook page.

Questions or concerns? Contact the Lions Yearbook 2025 editors at lionsyearbook2025@gmail.com

As part of Parker Middle School's Be the Change Project, students created holiday cards to wish local seniors a happy holiday season and new year.

The Crescendos, one of Chelmsford High's a cappella groups, had the opportunity to film a music video for their cover of "All Out of Love" by JB Stark featuring Ayoni, while they were in New York City for the ICHSA finals in April. The video has finally been released and can be viewed on YouTube at the link below:

To view more photos from this year's winter concerts, please visit our website.

To watch upcoming livestreams of our remaining concerts, visit Chelmsford Telemedia's website.

To view more photos from this year's winter concerts, please visit our website.

To watch upcoming livestreams of our remaining concerts, visit Chelmsford Telemedia's website.

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.

The Harrington Elementary School PTO was selected for Hannaford's Bloomin’ 4 Good program for the month of December! Now through Dec. 31, HPTO will receive $1 for every specially marked Bloomin’ 4 Good bouquet purchased at the Chelmsford Hannaford location, 66 Drum Hill Road.

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.

The Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) has officially invited the Parker Middle School Building Project into its feasibility study phase following successful completion of all eligibility period requirements. The MSBA’s Board of Directors voted unanimously to accept the Town of Chelmsford into the next phase of the building project process during its meeting on Friday, Dec. 13. Dr. Jay Lang, Superintendent of Chelmsford Public Schools, said he had not anticipated the project being on the board’s agenda until February. But because all the milestones required during the eligibility period, including the vote to appropriate funds for the feasibility study, have already been completed, the decision was made to advance the project to the next phase.

Learn more about this exciting news by visiting our website.

Chelmsford High School freshman Sophia Lin was awarded first place in an art contest that the Chelmsford Climate Action Team (CCAT) and the Chelmsford Public Library sponsored back in May. Lin’s submission, titled “Imagine A World,” features a polar bear, sea turtle and other living things that have been impacted by the changing climate. Chelmsford Climate Action Committee member Kathy Cryan-Hicks visited CHS on Tuesday, Dec. 10, to let Lin know that her art project had won the competition and to present her with a gift card and blue ribbon, as well as to return the winning piece of artwork.

Read more about Lin's winning entry by visiting our website.

On Friday, Dec. 6, Congresswoman Lori Trahan (MA-03) announced Chelmsford High School students Obinna Onyemauwa, Wilson Ochie and Kensmyth Taveras as the winners of the Third Congressional District’s annual Congressional App Challenge (CAC). Their app, “Ecosense”, was selected by a local judges from the pool of submissions from middle and high school students who participated in this year’s competition. The “Ecosense” app provides data on nearby water stations and animal habitats, mapping geographic coordinates to locate species across the country.

Read more by visiting our website.

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.

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. More dates will be added to the College Visit Schedule soon.

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

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