CPS Superintendent's Update

Dear CPS Community,

Happy Friday, once again! I hope you all had a wonderful week and were able to catch a glimpse of the Super Harvest Moon and partial lunar eclipse on Tuesday evening. It may seem hard to believe given the recent temperatures, but this coming Monday marks the first official day of fall.

This time of the year also means the Parker Perk Café reopens. For those who may not be familiar, this is a makeshift café set up in the Parker Middle School cafeteria with a host and waitstaff, tables, coffee bar and pastry display. Operated on most Fridays by students in Parker’s Life Skills class, it teaches real-world skills such as communication, literacy, measurements and math, as well as fine motor skills. Parker Perk Café mornings also serve as a great time for faculty and staff to sit down and enjoy coffee and conversation with their colleagues.

We had our first professional development half day on Wednesday, with many of our educators spending time learning more about Nearpod, an exciting new addition to CPS technology. Nearpod is designed to make teaching easier with interactive tools, resources and content all in one place. It also has an amazing library of pre-built, yet highly customizable lessons for every content area at every grade level.

On Tuesday, we invited two of our most recent hires to introduce themselves to the community during the School Committee meeting. Dr. Danja Mahoney is the new department coordinator for World Languages & Cultural Exchanges, and Katherine Richard is the new department coordinator for Mathematics. They both have myriad experience in their respective fields and we are thrilled they have joined our team at CPS. If you missed it, please find a link to the Sept. 17 School Committee meeting in this newsletter.

Now that your family has settled back into the schoolyear routine, please know we are actively looking for a few more staff members to join our team at Chelmsford Public Schools! If you are contemplating a job change or looking to enter the workforce, we have a variety of full and part-time positions during school hours that may interest you. If you or anyone you may know is interested in working in our district, please see our current openings. CPS will also be one of the employers at the upcoming Choose Chelmsford Job Fair on Oct. 2, so make sure to save the date for that!

Yours truly,

Jay Lang, Ed.D.

Superintendent of Schools

• Athletics Schedule
• Friends of the Chelmsford Public Library Book Sale: Sept. 27-29
• Chelmsford Health Department's Fall Festival: Saturday, Sept. 28, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Town Common
• School Committee Meeting: Tuesday, Oct. 1, 6 p.m., Central Administration Office
• Choose Chelmsford Job Fair: Wednesday, Oct. 2, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Chelmsford Town Hall
• Indigenous People's Day Celebration: Saturday, Oct. 12, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Town Common

If you missed this past Tuesday's 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.

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 before Sept. 29 and save $50; orders can be placed 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

The Parker Perk Cafe celebrated its grand opening for the 2024-25 season on Friday, Sept. 20. This exclusive café is set up in the Parker Middle School cafeteria with a host and waitstaff, tables, coffee bar and pastry display. There’s also a delivery cart that makes the rounds to classrooms for those who are unable to dine in. Operated on most Fridays by students in Parker’s Life Skills class, the Parker Perk Cafe teaches real-world skills such as communication, literacy, measurements and math, as well as fine motor skills.

Please visit our website to view a gallery of photos from the event.

Student-athletes from Harvard University visited McCarthy Middle School this week to talk with 8th graders about the importance of reading, perseverance and going after your goals - both in and out of the classroom.

Eighth grade science students recently participated in a "Grow Dino" activity, which allows them to explore basic science lab skills through measurement and observation of a polymer dinosaur placed in water over a period of days.

Senior Chhabi Patel sets up a chemistry experiment in the Science Lab Technician class.

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!

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. 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. See the flyer below for more information.

The CHS World Language Department is excited to announce a trip to Panama and Costa Rica for April vacation 2025. High school students interested in traveling abroad and seeing some incredible sights should plan to attend an informational meeting on Thursday, Sept. 26, at 6 p.m. in the Learning Commons. Please see Ms. Sanchez in Room 243 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.

As the new school year kicked off, a familiar face was ready to greet students in Chelmsford, Massachusetts.

Jay Lang ’00, ’15, who got his master’s degree in education administration and his Ed.D. in education in leadership in schooling at UMass Lowell, has served as the Chelmsford Public Schools superintendent since 2015 and says seeing the students return never gets old.

“From elementary to high school, kids are saying, ‘How are you, Dr. Lang? Did you have a good summer?’” says Lang, who welcomed students as they returned to school in late August. “I get to see the investments that we’ve made pay out for the kids who are coming back, and that’s really rewarding.”

Continue reading at UML.edu.

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.

The Town of Chelmsford, in conjunction with MassHire Lowell Career Center, is hosting an age-friendly job fair on Wednesday, Oct. 2, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Town Hall.

This job fair is open to everyone, highlighting age-friendly employers for job seekers over 50 years of age. Chelmsford Public Schools will be one of the many local employers at the event.

For more information and to pre-register for the job fair by visiting the MassHire Lowell Career Center 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