Dear Center Community,

This week has been a fun-filled week as students explored holidays and traditions from around the world while learning about the wonders of winter. It was a pleasure to see their excitement and creativity throughout the activities. We wish you and your loved ones a very Happy New Year filled with joy and health. School will resume on Monday, January 6th, and we look forward to welcoming everyone back for more learning and adventures in the new year!

Kindergarten Registration

kindergarten registration will be held Tuesday, Jan. 28, and Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025. If you have friends or neighbors with children entering kindergarten next fall, please let them know they will need to schedule an appointment to come in and register. A link to do so will be shared in the Action Center on the district and elementary school websites in the coming weeks, so keep an eye out for that.

Center Chirps:

• Students will be going out for recess if the real feel temperature is 20 degrees or warmer and it is not raining (snow or a slight drizzle are fine)during your students' recess time slot. Please make sure they have appropriate outerwear. If this is a hardship, please reach out to our counselor or nurse.

Happy holidays and best wishes for the New Year.

Warm Regards,

Dianna and Donna

Dear Principal Fulreader,

On behalf of the 70 volunteers who work at our pantry and the 130 family customers who are provided food each week, we thank your teachers and students for arranging the latest food drive for our Pantry. We would especially thank Chris McGillicuddy (and other student council advisors: Alana Joyce, Aleigha HIlberg and Faith Connors) who was exceptional in his coordination and work during this period. As we hear about the daily cost increase of food, our mission at the Pantry has increased significantly during the past few years. Your food drives for the CFP supplements the food that we provide to these families during the week. Thank you and your school for your continued support. Best regards, Bob Robert P. LaPorte, Jr.

Over the last three weeks students have been making a variety of homemade holiday cards for the Chelmsford Senior Center, specifically the recipients of the Meals on Wheels program. They were asked to make 150 cards and both staff and students stepped up without hesitation and surpassed that goal. All meals delivered on Christmas will include card from one of our students. Thank you to Lisa Darwin and the extended day crew for their acts of kindness!

We are now in the middle of the respiratory illness season and I hope that you and your family stay healthy. Because a variety of illnesses are going around this time of year, please review some reminders for families to help keep our students and our Center community safe and healthy:

1. Support heathy immune systems by helping students to get 9-12 hours of sleep each night, eat healthy food and drink plenty of water, get daily exercise outside and wash their hands frequently.

2. Stay up-to-date with flu and covid vaccines and take a test for flu and covid when symptoms are present.

3. Follow the CPS illness policy when students are not feeling well and call the nurse if you are not sure if they can attend school.

• We recommend that children do not come to school if they appear to be ill. We advise caregivers to keep students home if they have a sore throat, severe cold, rash, fever over 100, vomiting and/or diarrhea. Students need to stay home if they have any of the following:

• A fever over 100: May return to school when he/she is fever-free for 24 hours without fever-reducing medication (e.g. Tylenol or Advil).

• Strep Throat: If strep throat is suspected and the child either has had a negative throat culture or has been on antibiotics and fever-free for a full 24 hours (without Tylenol or Advil)

• Vomiting and/or diarrhea: May return to school 24 hours after his/her last vomiting and/or diarrhea episode.

• Red or pink itchy eyes with crusty and or green/yellow drainage: May return to school the day after treatment for 24 hours and has no further eye discharge.

• Head Lice or nits (eggs)

• A rash of unknown cause: May require MD clearance at the discretion of the school nurse.

• After a major illness, injury or hospitalization, a doctor's note may be required to return to school.

• All of the CPS health policies can be found on the district website: https://chelmsfordschools.org/departments/health-services/health-policies/

1. Please be aware that there has been an increase in Pneumonia cases recently and call your child's doctor if they are not feeling well.

https://www.healthychildren.org/Pneumonia

Rose Remmetter Felzani, MSN, RN

Center School Nurse

December

• Winter Recess: December 23 - January 3

January

• School back in session on Monday, January 6

• Monday, January 6: Be Kind Spirit Wear day

• Wednesday, January 8: Gr K, Term 1 End of marking period

• Friday, January 10: co-president’s meeting; 9:15-10:15

• Tuesday, January 14: Half Day (Professional Day)

• Tuesday, January 14: Dining to Donate the Establishment

• Friday, January 17: Gr K, Teacher deadline for posting grades

• Monday, January 20: No School- Martin Luther King, Jr. day

• Friday, January 24: Chelmsford Spirit Day

• Wednesday, January 22: Gr K, T1 Grades available online for parent/guardian

• Wednesday, January 22: CSPTO mtg Center Library, 6:30-7:30

At Center School, there are a number of free and reduced cost programs and donations, offered throughout the year, for example, free backpacks and school supplies, gift cards, holiday support, Thanksgiving meals etc. If these resources would be helpful, please fill out the attached 2 question form This information is confidential and will remain exclusively with the administration. You will not need to provide any additional documentation and we will reach out as options arise. Please contact Mrs. Fulreader if you have any questions.

https://forms.gle/zotYEnqVWCjcuuii8

This year, and moving forward, Massachusetts is offering all school lunch and breakfast at no charge to students. 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. https://cpsnutrition.com/index.php?sid=1478035692058&page=lunchapps

If you do qualify for benefits you most likely will be eligible for SNAP benefits. https://www.mass.gov/snap-benefits-formerly-food-stamps

Some examples of SNAP benefits are discounts on gas, electric utilities and internet services.

Please visit our school nutrition website at https://cpsnutrition.com/index.php?sid=1478035692058 for more information about our program and also a link to the free and reduced lunch application.