Dear Center Community,

Our third grade students and teachers welcomed VIPS from the town hall on Thursday. Town Clerk, Patricia Dzuris, Assistant Town Clerk, Maria Vasquesz, and Special Services Coordinator, Pamela Gilchrest came to speak to our third grade students to share information about the many functions of our town hall, with an emphasis on the voting process. Students learned that "every election matters" and even got to participate in their own mock election, voting for their favorite cartoon dog.

We kindly ask that students refrain from bringing toys and personal items, such as footballs, from home to school. These items often get lost and can cause distractions during the school day, as disputes arise over who gets to play with them. Recently, some students have been bringing footballs to recess that are too hard, leading to concerns about safety and the potential for injuries. Additionally, bringing personal footballs has sometimes led to exclusion of other students from games. We are placing an order for Nerf footballs and would gratefully accept any donations of Nerf footballs in the meantime. Thank you for your cooperation and support!

Read for the Record Day - October 24th

The Center Community will be joining over two million readers and thousands of classrooms, libraries and communities on October 24, 2024 to celebrate early literacy by reading Piper Chen Sings by Grammy Award-Winning Hamilton star Phillipa Soo and Maris Pasquale Doran. The Hastie family generously donated books for each classroom. We encourage families to join us by reading this inspiring story at home as well. Let's make this day a special one by sharing the joy of reading together!

ALICE drill scheduled

This week we completed school-wide meetings to explain to students the ALICE protocols and principles in a developmentally appropriate way.

Part of our meeting showed students in grades 1-4 a video to explain the ALICE choices. We hope you will take some time to view this video yourself and talk with your child about this.

Here is the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c5UyATnpr2Y

Our first drills will be held the week of October 21st. We will notify families once the drills have been completed.

Please do not hesitate to reach out should you have any questions or concerns.

Help Needed

Looking for a way to help out but have limited time and can't make it into the school? Katie LaRochelle needs some assistance preparing some project folders for students. Please email her at larochellek@chelmsford.k12.ma.us if you are able to donate a couple of hours of your time.

Community Resource

Community Teamwork is working with the Mental Health Advocacy Program for Kids to put on a Parent Workshop about IEP's on Thursday the 24th. Childcare is not provided, they will have some quieter options for kids 0-6 in the back of the meeting room. You can also select to receive a zoom link at registration.
https://dracutlibrary.assabetinteractive.com/calendar/iep-101-intro-to-special-education/

Restoring Rainbows Project

Restoring Rainbows is a global initiative whose goals are to provide educational supplies to children, contribute to environmental cleanup, and foster creativity within our community. We gather used school supplies (such as markers, pencils, crayons, rulers, scissors, etc.) that we can restore and distribute appropriately.

We will be placing a donation box at Center Elementary, where people can leave items to donate. If you have any questions, please reach out to us at restoringrainbows.chelmsford@gmail.com and we will provide you with the details!"

Trunk or Treat Collection for Food Pantry

Trunk or Treat will be held on Center grounds from 1-3 tomorrow. Once again, the Center Student Council will be collecting non-perishable food items for food pantry. Thank for contributing to this important cause.

Enjoy the weekend.

Warm Regards,

Dianna and Donna

The holidays are right around the corner! Resources for holiday support are now available. Any families who can benefit from additional support should reach out to Sarah West, School Counselor, via email at wests@chelmsford.k12.ma.us. A few local Chelmsford community programs generously provide help for the holidays and Sarah West can help coordinate this with any family in need.

Forms for Beacon Santa (Due 10/31), Secret Santa (Due 11/8) are attached at the bottom of this newsletter and paper copies are available in the main office at Center. Please note the individual deadlines for form submissions as they are approaching soon. "

Thank you

Sarah West

Don't miss Center's spookiest celebration! Trunk or Treat will be from 1-3 pm on Saturday, 10/19 (rain date: 10/26) Come in costume and trick or treat around the parking lot. There will be games and goodies for all to enjoy, NO TICKETS NEEDED!

We need your trunks, candy and games! Sign up to spook out your car or run a fun game, to help us run a successful event! There will be a prize for "Best Dressed Trunk"! We welcome any candy donations for this event which can be dropped off in the main office (not sent in backpacks).

Special thanks to our fantastic team of coordinators- Ashley Baxter, Kelly Lucey and Rachel Lang

Have some extra time in the afternoon on our next half day? Come help us spread safety chips in the playground. This is a great opportunity to give back to the school, and it’s family-friendly – you’re welcome to bring your kids!

Details:

• Please bring your own shovels, rakes, and other tools if you have them.
• Kids are welcome to help out or just have fun playing while we work!
• Feel free to come for as long as you're available – any amount of help is appreciated!

Sign Up Here

On SATURDAY, November 2nd (8am – 12pm) McCarthy & Center School PTOs are holding their very popular Recycle Day fundraiser, and they need volunteers!! Come help us greet drivers, unload donated items, and load those items into the recycle company's truck . All Middle & HS students are welcome to volunteer and earn up to 5 hours of community service. We also need parents to volunteer as well.

Signup at: https://signup.com/go/tJJQfMx

** Students 14 years and younger must have a parent/guardian volunteer with them**

We appreciate your support!!

October

• Friday, October 18: Chelmsford Spirit Day

• Saturday, October 19: Trunk-or-Treat; 1:00-3:00 PM (rain date Oct. 26th)

• Monday, October 21, Picture Day

• Thursday, October 24: Half day/Professional day

• Thursday, October 24: Help needed after school to spread mulch, please see details in the Pulse
  

• Thursday, October 24: Lunch and Recess Aide mtg: 9:15 - 10:15

• Thursday, October 24: Read for the Record Day, Piper Chen SIngs

• October 29 & 30th : 3rd grade field trips to Garrison House

• Thursday, October 31: K Paperbag parade

November

• Friday, November 1: PTO co-president’s meeting 9:15-10:15

• Friday, November 1: Natasha Lowe author visit- 3rd grade
  

• Saturday, November 2: Recycle day; 8:00-12:00

• Monday, November 4: Be Kind Spirit Wear day

• Tuesday, November 5: No School - Professional development day

• Monday, November 11: No School (Veteran’s day)

• Wednesday, November 13: CSPTO meeting; 6:30-7:30 PM

• Friday, November 15: Picture retake day

• Wednesday, November 20: Half day (Elementary and MS only)

• Friday, November 22: Chelmsford Spirit Day

• Wednesday, November 27: Early release - Thanksgiving recess

• Thursday, November 28: No School (Thanksgiving)

• Friday, November 29: No School

Fall has arrived and the start of the respiratory virus season will begin soon, including flu and Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV). COVID-19 continues to circulate as well.

We encourage all eligible staff, students and community members to get updated flu and COVID-19 vaccines. Getting these vaccines increases your chances of staying healthy this year and by extension, keeping our Center community healthier too!

Why should I get the vaccines?
Getting vaccinated is the best way to prevent illness and reduce the risk of severe disease and hospitalization. When you get vaccinated, you also protect the people around you, including those who are at higher risk of complications for respiratory illnesses.

Who should get the Flu, COVID-19, and RSV Vaccines?

• Flu - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends everyone ages 6 months and older get a flu shot every fall before the start of flu season. You can find more information about the flu and flu vaccine on the CDC website.

• COVID-19

• The CDC recommends that EVERYONE ages 6 months and older get a dose of the updated 2024-2025 COVID-19 vaccine. This is especially important if you are 65 years or older, at high risk for COVID-19, or have never been vaccinated.

• RSV

• The CDC recommends everyone aged 75 years or older receive an RSV vaccine.

• It is also recommended for people aged 60 or older with certain medical conditions. Please see the CDC website for a complete list of conditions.

• It is recommended for pregnant people who are 32 to 36 weeks during the months of September through January.

• The CDC recommends a one-time vaccine for RSV. You can find more information about RSV and the RSV vaccination on the CDC website.

Where can I get these vaccines?

We encourage patients to contact your PCP or local pharmacy to get vaccinated.

To find a local pharmacy for flu, RSV, or COVID-19 vaccines, you can go to vaccines.gov or, call 1-800-232-0233.

COVID-19 Tests & Updated Guidelines

Starting at the end of September, residential households in the U.S. can order four home rapid antigen COVID-19 tests for free at COVIDTests.gov.

The CPS Covid-19 protocols can be found on the CPS website: CPS COVID Health Protocols

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.