CHIPS Weekly Update

Dear CHIPS Families,

Our school year is off to a great start! It's been so nice to see both new and returning students learning and having fun. Thank you for all that you have done to help our return to school go smoothly. We're looking forward to an amazing year!

A couple of reminders about arrival/dismissal:

• Please do not pass busses if their lights are flashing and/or stop signs are on.
• If you are in the car drop off/pick up line, please stay in your vehicle until a staff member comes to your car.
• The CHIPS driveway is one way. Please enter on the left side of the building and drive around to our drop off/pickup area.
• Please be on time for drop off and pick up. It can be very distressing for students when nobody is there for pickup.

The Chelmsford Public School District has implemented a new visitor management and screening service at every school building. The system is called Visitor Aware, and it is designed to ensure that only safe visitors are allowed access to our buildings. Visitor Aware provides an additional layer of security for your children by validating the identities of anyone entering the premises, determining if they are a potential threat, and keeping accurate records of all school visits.

Visitors are required to have a valid state issued identification card, such as a driver’s license, to check in to ensure the accuracy of the information provided. Valid identification is also used to ensure that the person checking in is the same as the ID holder. The identification card must be non-expired and contain a picture of the visitor.

Visitor Aware is a great addition to our already well secured buildings, and will further assist us in keeping all schools as safe as possible.

The beginning of preschool is an exciting time! It can also be a difficult time for both parents and children, especially if this is there first school experience. Please know that CHIPS staff have lots of experience helping hesitant preschoolers separate from their grownups and have a great time learning at school! Below is a link with some helpful tips if your child is anxious about leaving you to come to school.

• September 18- NO SCHOOL. Professional Development
• October 8 & 9- School Pictures- More Information to come
• October 14- NO SCHOOL. Columbus Day

Welcome to CHIPS! Helpful and fun updates and information will often be shared here. Please reach out to Nurse Kristen at any time for questions or concerns throughout the school year. Wishing you health and happiness!

We would like to address that there are many students with life threatening food allergies within our classrooms.

We are requesting that peanut/tree-nuts derived foods, shellfish and eggs (hard boiled/cooked) not be sent in with your child for snack. Keeping your children safe is our priority. We continue to practice hand washing daily, disinfect our surfaces and monitor closely as to not share food items.

Age-appropriate information for allergy awareness and a link to ideas for allergy friends snacks are included below.

Thank you for your cooperation, understanding and being a 'PAL' with this very important issue.

Please use our absence line (978-251-5188 Option 0) or our attendance email (chipsattendance@chelmsford.k12.ma.us) to report your child's absence from school and be sure to state the reason for the absence (illness, appointment, travel, etc). If your child is out due to illness, please let us know the nature of the illness (fever, vomiting, cough, etc.).

Nurse Kristen can be reached by calling the CHIPS main number (978-251-5188) and selecting option 3.

Our CHIPS Little Free Library- such a fun way to help foster a love of reading in our preschoolers! Feel free to stop by with your child and borrow a book! Please remember to return the book when you are finished:) If you have books at home that you would like to donate, please put them in the Little Library or send them into CHIPS with your child. Thank you!!

Our first meeting of the year will be on Monday, September 9 at 6:30pm at CHIPS. We hope that you'll consider getting involved with the CHIPS PTO! As always, there will be a link for those who would like to attend virtually. The meeting link is below.

Email: mcguirkm@chelmsford.k12.ma.us
Website: https://chelmsfordschools.org
Location: 170 Dalton Road, Chelmsford, MA, USA
Phone: (978)251-5188