CPS Superintendent's Update

Dear CPS Community,

I hope you all had a wonderful week, and to those who celebrate Rosh Hashanah, I wish you a happy new year!

This past week, Parker Middle School held its first community service project of the school year. Called Change for Change, the initiative saw Parker students and staff collecting spare change in buckets in the lobby. While there was some friendly competition involved, the ultimate goal was to raise money for the Jimmy Fund to support kids with cancer. Projects like this go a long way to teaching our students the importance of generosity, as well as instilling in them that, no matter the size of the contribution, they can make a positive impact on the lives of others.

Tomorrow is World Teacher’s Day, a day to honor the incredibly passionate teachers who inspire and shape our future. And just because the holiday falls on a Saturday this year doesn’t mean we’re not celebrating all their hard work and dedication in the classroom! Teachers are the backbone of education, equipping students with the skills, knowledge and values needed for success. We couldn’t be more thankful for the gifted team of teachers we have at Chelmsford Public Schools who make a profound impact on our students every single day.

In addition to teachers, we’re also celebrating our athletic coaches this weekend, as Sunday happens to be National Coaches Day. Chelmsford student-athletes are unbelievably lucky to have so many dedicated mentors, both inside and outside the classroom. Our coaches are not only building better athletes, but also better people, especially when it comes to teaching our youth the importance of teamwork and sportsmanship. Some of our coaches are classroom teachers, as well, making this weekend doubly special for them! So, if you happen to see one of our extraordinary educators or coaches over the weekend, make sure to say thank you!

I also want to bring your attention to a couple community events happening in the coming days. On Saturday, Oct. 5, Chelmsford residents are invited to take a tour of two of Chelmsford’s fire stations, Station 3 and Station 5. They are both over 50 years old and are in need of upgrades and improvements. Proposals for construction and renovation of these facilities will appear on the Fall Town Meeting and Nov. 5 Election ballots. There will also be an informational meeting on Thursday, Oct. 10, at Station 3 on Old Westford Road. Please see the flyers included in this newsletter for more information, or visit https://www.chelmsfordma.gov/1057/Fire-Station-Study-Committee.

Have a fantastic weekend!

Yours truly,

Jay Lang, Ed.D.

Superintendent of Schools

• Athletics Schedule
• World Teacher's Day: Saturday, Oct. 5
  
• National Coaches Day: Sunday, Oct. 6

• Chelmsford Fire Station Tours: Saturday, Oct. 5, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., 260 Old Westford Road (Station 3) and 295 Acton Road (Station 5)

  Chelmsford Fire Station Informational Session: Thursday, Oct. 10, 7 p.m., 260 Old Westford Road (Station 3)

• Indigenous People's Day Celebration: Saturday, Oct. 12, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Town Common
• Columbus Day: Monday, Oct. 14: No School
• School Committee Meeting: Tuesday, Oct. 15, 6 p.m., Central Administration Office

If you missed this past Tuesday's School Committee meeting, you can watch it in its entirety at this link:

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!

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

Officers from Chelmsford Police Department took part in High-Five Friday at South Row Elementary School on Sept. 27.

In Mr. DiCarlo's Robotics class, students have built robots that they can control remotely and designed custom manipulators to help them get an edge in "Robosoccer." The after-school Robotics Team is also starting up. This year the team hopes to take their robots to a regional VEX competition against other schools in the area. The team meets every Thursday 2 to 3 p.m. in room 107. All high school students are welcome to join regardless of experience. Email dicarloc@chelmsford.k12.ma.us with any questions.

In preparation for Digital Citizenship Week (Oct. 14-18), Byam Elementary School students in Mrs. Marcoux’s computer classes are learning how to stay safe online! Here's to another year of helping students navigate the digital world in safe, productive and healthy ways.

Plasma lamp fun!

Students went to Kimball Fruit Farm in Pepperell to learn about pest management, hydroponic farming, and how their local agricultural system works.

Chelmsford Public Schools social workers participated in the Chelmsford Fall Festival on Saturday, Sept. 28. It was a well-attended event that brought the community together on a beautiful fall day.

Six seniors were recently honored as Chelmsford High School named its Lions Pride/Rotary Student of the Month recipients for September, announced CHS Principal Stephen Murray. Students receiving recognition were Jocelyn Pica and Joseph Evans from Emerson House, Akhil Dantam and Anisha Dantam of Hawthorne House and Salim Gadiri and Pranav Abburi from Whittier House.

Read more about these outstanding students on our website.

Parker Middle School's Drama Club will be holding auditions for “Wizard of Oz–Youth Edition” on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, Oct. 15-17 after school until 4:30 p.m.

Those auditioning are asked to prepare 30-45 seconds of a song that shows off their voice and acting (a song from another musical, a song that feels good to sing or even a song that showcases emotion in facial expressions and physicality).

Before auditioning, students should make sure you are available for not only rehearsals, but also Tech Week (Monday through Thursday, March 10-13, 2:40 to 7 p.m.) and production week (March 17-22)

Sign up to audition here. Join student google classroom for more information or email parkermsdrama@gmail.com with any questions!

The Chelmsford High School Theatre Guild has announced the cast for this year’s musical, “Beauty and the Beast.” Lily Rogers and Hadi Al Dayaa will be playing the lead roles of Belle and the Beast. Gaston will be played by Ben Grant, Adam Pinto will bring life to Lumiere, and Armaan McCarthy will take on the role of Cogsworth. The roles of Maurice and Lefou will be portrayed by Alex Kurth and Aditya Bura. Mrs. Potts will be played by Jocelyn Pica and Chip will be portrayed by Liam O’Neill. And finally, Bella Travers and Mads Meehan will take on the roles of Madame and Babette. Directing “Beauty and the Beast” will be Erica Lundin, a Chelmsford High School graduate who has assisted with choreography during past CHS Theatre Guild performances.

Read more about this upcoming production on our website.

Developed by Parker Middle School artist-educator Ashley Norman, the Sketchbook Spectacular is a free art initiative open to artists of all ages in the Chelmsford community and beyond. Participants are encouraged to explore prompts in their sketchbooks, but the prompts can also inspire free-standing artwork. This month, participants are encouraged to explore and embrace Inktober. See the flyer below for more information.

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.

Parker Perk Café has officially opened for the season, serving up hot and iced coffee, tea, cappuccino, hot chocolate and a variety of baked goods to the Parker Middle School community. The makeshift café, set up in a corner of the Parker Middle School cafeteria, is open to faculty and staff on most Friday mornings from 8:30 to 9:15 a.m. and is operated by students in Parker’s Life Skills class. While the coffee and atmosphere are great, the purpose of Parker Perk Café is to teach real-world skills such as communication, literacy, measurements and math, as well as fine motor skills. The Life Skills students serve as hosts, cashiers and waitstaff, and also man a delivery cart that goes around to classrooms for those unable to dine-in.

To read more about the Parker Perk Café, please visit our website.

Chelmsford High two-way football lineman Thomas Brown announced his college choice on X (formerly Twitter) on Monday. Brown is taking his talents to … drum roll, please … Villanova University. Brown wrote, “Grateful for the incredible opportunity. I’d like to thank my friends, family & coaches. Looking forward for the next chapter at Nova Nation.” The 6-foot-3, 285-pound Brown had been mulling Division 1 offers in recent months. Last fall, he recorded 40 pancake blocks – an eye-popping number – from his offensive lineman position.

Read more at LowellSun.com.

A recent guest on Chasing the Facts, hosted by Sam Chase, Superintendent Dr. Jay Lang discusses embarking on his 10th year at CPS, rising enrollment and the Parker Middle School building project. Watch the full episode at the link below.

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.

More than 75 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