It is with great enthusiasm and excitement that I welcome you to the 2024-2025 school year at McCarthy! We had another busy summer managing staff additions, student scheduling, and a few other large-scale projects. I am looking forward to having students and staff back in the building next week as we kick-off the school year. Last year's middle school reconfiguration was a massive undertaking and I am eager to get started for year 2! There are great things ahead for our McCarthy students, staff, and families, and I am excited to be a part of it.

This newsletter contains important information that will help ensure a positive start to the school year. Thank you in advance for taking the time to check it out! As always, please reach out to me and/or our Assistant Principal, Kerry Calobrisi with any questions, concerns, or ideas.

Best wishes for a terrific finish to the summer and I look forward to seeing you soon.

Regards,

Jeff Parks, Principal

School begins for all McCarthy students on Tuesday, August 27, 2024. ALL STUDENTS WILL REPORT TO THEIR 1st PERIOD CLASS FOLLOWING TUESDAY'S SCHEDULE.

School hours are 8:10 am - 2:30 pm. Student drop off will begin at 8:00 am (additional details below). School will be in session on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday next week. The district will be closed on Friday, August 30th, and will reopen on Tuesday, September 3rd following Labor Day weekend. I have included a link to the CPS calendar for your convenience and planning.

Over the first week, will all be working to adjust to year 2 of our "new" schedule while acclimating to the typical hustle of a new school year. Through a series of grade level assemblies and ongoing interactions with our students, we will be sharing our expectations for academic and social success.

Student Drop Off Procedure- NEW THIS YEAR

The middle school students in grades 5-8 will continue to ride the same buses to and from school. 7th & 8th graders will be dropped off at McCarthy beginning at 8:00am, and the buses will continue to Parker. At dismissal, beginning at 2:30pm, students will board the buses at McCarthy, and then will travel to pick up the 5th & 6th graders at Parker.

Based on our observations and parent feedback from the 2023-2024 school year, we will be piloting new drop-off & pick-up processes. In partnership with the Chelmsford Police and CPS Transportation Department, we will evaluate the new plan through the beginning of the school year to determine whether the new procedures are an improvement, or if we should revert back to last year's structure. We welcome your feedback on this as well as we start the 2024-2025 school year.

Overview:

Morning Drop Off

• Students can be dropped off beginning at 8:00am using the large lot located off of Old Westford Road. All cars will enter and exit from Old Westford Road. Students will use the walkway and enter the school near the library.

• No vehicles will be allowed to enter through the North Road entrance as the buses will be utilizing the front of the school along with the driveway in front of the Police Station.

• Buses will enter off of North Road and will drop students off in front of the school and will exit onto Old Westford Road.

• Students who walk or ride bikes, etc., can enter through the main entrance. There is a bike rack located on the left side of the school closest to the staff parking area.

Afternoon Dismissal

• At 2:30pm, students being picked up will exit the building and can be picked up in the rear lot off of Old Westford Road.

• No vehicles will be allowed to enter through the North Road entrance as the buses will be utilizing the front of the school along with the driveway in front of the Police Station.

• All students who ride buses will board the buses in front of the school and along the Police Station side of the building. Buses will depart for Parker using the Old Westford Road exit.

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WHEN BUSES ARE READY TO DEPART - PARENT TRAFFIC WILL BE HALTED SO ALL BUSES CAN EXIT.

Students will start with their 1st period class each day. We do not have a traditional Homeroom period. Attendance will be taken during 1st period. For the purpose of student supply distribution, and other related items, we will use each student’s Monday “SEL” block as the go-to class.

One unique aspect of our schedule are the elective blocks. The teachers who are running those classes have created courses related to their typical content area, but not a duplicate of their "regular" classes. We are excited to see how these courses have evolved from year one as we incorporate more student choice into their school experience.

Please review the McCarthy Schedule Overview 2024-2025 document for additional information on the schedule and team assignments.

As part of a McCarthy construction project, all visitors who come to McCarthy during the school day will ring the outside bell, and will be directed into our new vestibule area. This will be staffed by one of our office members, who will interact with the guest, and once verified, will be given a badge and granted access to the school. This is an enhanced safety measure that we are pleased to be adding to the school.

Students who arrive late to school or are being dismissed early will also be processed through this area.

The project will continue over the coming weeks and will ultimately include new doors, a graded walkway, and an upgrade to the whole "storefront" of the school.

Grade 8: Thursday, September 5, 2024, 6:00-7:30pm

Grade 7: Tuesday September 10, 2024, 6:00-7:30pm

I have included a document (below) with all CPS Open House dates for your convenience, and

will reach out with additional details regarding McCarthy's event we we get a bit closer.

This year, we will continue to send a weekly bulletin, which will be published each Friday. This bulletin will feature a look at the week ahead so that you and your student(s) will be prepared. I will also send additional communications throughout the year which will be more detailed, and will typically feature an inside look at all-things-McCarthy.

I encourage you to follow me on Instagram and Twitter (“X”) @Principal_Parks for ongoing updates and pictures from our school events. I also use these platforms to send quick updates such as buses running late, school cancellations, etc.

I am always open to your ideas and suggestions as we work to maintain positive and productive home-school communication.

The Federal Breakfast & Lunch program will continue this year providing free options for a CPS students. The attached letter from Food Services Director, Nancy Antolini, contains more information regarding this program.

Lunch:

• The brand-new McCarthy kitchen was installed last year, and we officially opened in November. We are working on a painting project to enhance the cafeteria seating area for the students. We look forward to welcoming back our exceptional Food Services staff who are excited to get started again.

Breakfast:

• We will continue to have 3 separate locations in the building for students to "Grab & Go" with their breakfast as they head to their locker and period 1 class. This will alleviate the congestion in the cafeteria and will help ensure that students make it to their first period class on time and ready to learn.

If your child is going to be absent from school, you can either email or call to let us know.

Email: mccarthy_attendance@chelmsford.k12.ma.us

Please Send Email: Prior to 9am on the day of the absence (same as current voicemail option)

Please Include:Child’s name, Grade, Reason for absence

I encourage you to use the email option when reporting an absence, dismissal, etc. Parents are still free to use the phone system to report absences, but you are encouraged to use email for greater office efficiency.

If you prefer, you can certainly call the attendance line prior to 9:00am, at 978-251-5122, choose Option 1.

In order for an absence to be marked as "Excused", families will need to provide medical documentation.

Thank you for your understanding.

Our after school clubs and activities program will get started around mid-October. These are a fantastic way for students to interact with their peers while meeting people with similar interests. I am confident that we will be able to expand our options as we are only focusing on 7th & 8th grade students.

I will send more information once the school year begins and I work with staff to determine what we will run and who will serve as the advisor(s).

Email: parksj@chelmsford.k12.ma.us
Website: https://mccarthy.chelmsfordschools.org/
Location: 250 North Road, Chelmsford, MA, USA
Phone: 978-251-5122
Instagram & Twitter ("X"): @Principal_Parks