CPS Superintendent's Update

Dear CPS Community,

It certainly has been an exciting first week of April with an added spring storm mixed in to keep us on our toes! Spring storms are very tricky for meteorologists to forecast, however what is not hard to predict is the upcoming total solar eclipse on Monday April 8, 2024. I am sure many of you are listening to meteorologists talk about the event on your local news stations; however, an eclipse is an astronomical event. If you are hearing local meteorologists reference the eclipse, they are talking about the weather effects and effects the moon has on tides. As an astronomical event, the upcoming total eclipse will be visible from many parts of the United States. While no location in Massachusetts will experience totality, some parts of the state will see over 95% coverage of the sun. Xavier M. Jubier, an information-technology professional, developed a map that provides a tracking system of the eclipse’s path, detailing the maximum amount of coverage at a selected location on Earth for anyone interested in following the timing of the event.

There have been inquiries regarding dismissal and viewing events for our schools based on the timing of the eclipse. We will be holding regular school hours on Monday April 8th. The eclipse will begin shortly after 2:00 p.m. and will last approximately two and a half hours until about 4:30 p.m. The timing of the event coincides with our school dismissal times and there will be no scheduled viewing events at the schools. We will remind students at the end of the day that they should avoid looking directly at the eclipse without specialized viewing eyewear when leaving school grounds. Please be sure to have a conversation with your child(ren) about the dangers of looking directly at the eclipse without proper eye protection. Please see the following Eclipse Safety Sheet developed by NASA on how to safely view the eclipse. To learn more about the upcoming eclipse, please visit the NASA website for additional comprehensive information.

Please enjoy this week’s highlights below and have a wonderful weekend.

Yours truly,

Jay Lang, Ed.D.

Superintendent of Schools

• Athletics Schedule
• South Row School Multicultural Festival, 4/6, 1:00 p.m.
• Town of Chelmsford DEI Committee Panel, 4/7, 2:00 p.m.
  
• School Committee Meeting, 4/9, 6:00 p.m.

Chelmsford Community Education has new and exciting programs this summer like Robot Commanders, Riddle Rovers Escape Room, Plant Pioneers, Skyhawks Ultimate Sports, and AI (Artificial Intelligence) Adventures. Attached is a full catalog of all offerings.

Most of our programs are age or grade specific, so verify that your child’s age and grade information is correct before attempting to register. To update any incorrect information on your account, call us at 978-251-5151. To view Chelmsford Community Education’s summer programs, please visit Chelmsford Community Education.

Be sure to follow us on social media to keep up with the latest on all the fun at Chelmsford Community Education. Our Facebook page is “Chelmsford Community Education” and our Instagram page is “CommedWestlands.”

Questions? Contact us at Commed@Chelmsford.k12.ma.us or 978-251-5151. We can’t wait to see you this summer!!

WHEN:

• Next: Thursday, April 25, 2024, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Past: Tuesday and Wednesday, January 30 & 31, 2024, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

• Reserve your appointment here

WHERE:

• Chelmsford Public Schools Central Administration Office, 230 North Road, Chelmsford, MA.

STIPULATIONS:

• Children entering kindergarten must be 5 years of age on or before August 31, 2024.
• Parents/guardians must complete the Google form above with contact information and preferred appointment time (appointments take approximately 15 minutes) within a three-hour window.
• A staff member will follow-up with each parent to confirm date and time of appointment.

For more registration information, please visit our website.

Chelmsford Public Schools held a public information session related to the Parker Middle School Building Project on Thursday, March 28. Superintendent Dr. Jay Lang shared a plethora of information about the project as the district moves into the Massachusetts School Building Authority‘s Eligibility Period on April 1. If you weren’t able to make it, please watch the video below.

Six seniors were recently honored as Chelmsford High School named its Lions Pride/Rotary Student of the Month recipients for March, announced CHS Principal Stephen Murray. Students receiving recognition were Parv Parikh and Madeleine Gaffney from Emerson House, Aurora Ferreira and Jillian Walker of Hawthorne House and Amanda Nutt and Constantina Fredericks from Whittier House. Please visit our website to read more about the CHS Students of the month.

A new elementary math curriculum was introduced at the start of the 2023-24 academic year at Chelmsford Public Schools, and, so far, it has been a success among teachers and students. “In my book, it’s a 5 [out of 5],” said Ann Swierzbin, elementary math coach for Chelmsford Public Schools. “Classroom after classroom, I’m seeing a greater understanding and more number sense. That, to me, is a big checkmark.” Dr. Matthew Beyranevand, mathematics department coordinator for Chelmsford Public Schools, said part of the strategic plan for the district included the implementation of a new math curriculum. At the elementary level, Reveal Math was chosen after being piloted last year. Please visit our website to read more about this new math program.

Chelmsford Public Schools has once again been named one of the Best Communities for Music Education by the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) Foundation for the district’s outstanding commitment to music education. This is Chelmsford’s 12th consecutive year receiving NAMM’s Best Communities for Music Education (BCME) designation. “CPS music teachers and students deserve this recognition for their creativity, dedication and effort,” said Dr. Christy Whittlesey, Fine and Performing Arts Coordinator for Chelmsford Public Schools. “We should all take pride in contributing to a community that values music-making in schools and beyond.” Please visit our website to read more about this music recognition.

Byam Art Night is Thursday, May 9th, 5:00-7:00pm!

Suggested time slots are K-2 5:00-6:00pm, and 3rd-4th 6:00-7:00pm, but please stop by anytime that works for your family. Every single child will have artwork displayed!

• View K-4 Artwork in the halls!
• Glow Gallery in the Art room!
• Complete an Art Scavenger Hunt for a chance to win a gift certificate!
• Check out the Scholastic Book Fair outside!

Make plans to celebrate the end of the school year: Take the family out to the ballgame! Your kids can join fellow students from both McCarthy and Parker to enjoy watching the Boston Red Sox play the Detroit Tigers on Thursday, May 30th at 7:10pm. Tickets are $40 per person with a portion of the proceeds benefiting both PTOs. Tickets are expected to sell out like last year so act fast to get in on the action! See the directions to get your tickets for this event.

Go to: https://givebutter.com/gMsmi9 to place your order.

Or, use the QR code below on the attached flyer.

Print out our flyer as your reminder!

NOTE: Tickets will be emailed to your MLB app directly in May!

Please see our list of open positions at the Chelmsford Public Schools. We would love for you to join our team.

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
Twitter: @ChelmsfordPS