CPS Superintendent's Update

Dear CPS Community,

Happy Friday. I hope you all had a great week!

We are approaching the half-way point of the academic year, with the 90th day of school coming up next Thursday. As we move along in the new year, please be mindful of term and semester end dates approaching for our students. Our high school students are preparing for semester finals of half-year courses, and both our middle and high school students are approaching the end of Term 2 for full-year courses. Now is a good time to check your child’s Aspen portal to see their progress on assignments posted by their teachers to be sure they are on track for success.

Though we were very fortunate last school year and only had to use one snow day, it looks like we may get some wintry weather next week. As such, I would like to remind you that school closure announcements will be posted through a variety of channels, including our website and social media accounts, as well as news stations, e-mail and ConnectEd phone calls. Please know delay and cancellation decisions can be very tricky to make. When possible, the decision will come the night before to help families plan for their children. However, at times the frequent shifts of weather changes within hours, along with varied weather forecasts, make it difficult to cancel or delay school too far in advance – sometimes we must wait until the morning hours to decide. The safety of students and staff is my number one priority in making the decision while minimizing the disruption to learning.

Town Elections are coming up in March and nomination papers are now available for anyone considering an active role in our local government. There are numerous Town Meeting seats that are currently vacant. For those interested in representing our community in this capacity, you have until February 6 at 5:00 p.m. to pull papers. With a potential new school building project on the horizon, this is an especially important time to have a say in shaping the future of education for students in our district.

The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) is seeking nominations for the next Massachusetts Teacher of the Year. Even if a teacher ultimately doesn't wind up applying, they are informed that they were nominated, which is like a huge thank you gift. If you would like to nominate one of our incredible CPS teachers, you may do so here.

With Monday being Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, there will be no school. So have a great long weekend and stay warm!

Yours truly,

Jay Lang, Ed.D.

Superintendent of Schools

• Athletics Schedule
• Martin Luther King, Jr. Day: Monday, Jan. 20 - No School
• School Committee Meeting: Tuesday, Jan. 21, 6 p.m. CPS Administration Offices
• Kindergarten Registration: Tuesday, Jan. 28, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. CPS Administration Offices
• Kindergarten Registration: Wednesday, Jan. 29, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. CPS Administration Offices
• CHIPS Information Night: Thursday, Jan. 30, 6 p.m. Virtual
• Willy Wonka, Jr.: Friday, Jan. 31, 7 p.m.; Saturday, Feb. 1, 2 p.m. and 7 p.m., McCarthy Auditorium.

The Chelmsford Public School Committee will meet on Tuesday, Jan. 21, at 6 p.m. at the Central Administration Offices, 230 North Road. The meeting can be viewed on Comcast channel 22 or Verizon channel 36. It will also be live-streamed by Chelmsford Telemedia here.

The agenda for Tuesday's meeting can be found here.

If you missed the Jan. 7 School Committee meeting, watch it here:

Kindergarten registration for the 2025-26 academic year will be held on Jan. 28 and 29 at the Chelmsford Public Schools Central Administration Office, 230 North Road, Chelmsford.

Reserve a spot by visiting the CPS district website.

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.

Time is running out to order your yearbook; orders must be placed by Friday, Jan. 24, 2025.

Order yearbooks online here or by calling 1-877-767-5217.

Flexible payment plans are available; you may spread out the cost of the order with an interest-free Jostens Payment Plan.

Questions or concerns? Contact the Lions Yearbook 2025 editors at lionsyearbook2025@gmail.com

Celebrating 50 years, McCarthy Middle School's Project 300 is nearing the mark of 1,000,000 items donated. Donations go to the Salvation Army in Lowell and the Chelmsford Food Pantry to feed families in the Merrimack Valley. If you'd like to contribute to this worthy cause, donation bins are located in the lobbies of McCarthy and Parker Middle Schools.

You can't see it all on TV! The McCarthy Drama Club's annual musical, Willy Wonka Jr., will feature three performances: Friday, Jan. 31 at 7 p.m.; and Saturday, Feb. 1, at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m., in the McCarthy Auditorium.

Tickets are selling fast, so get yours now via our online ticket site: http://our.show/mcwonka2025. Tickets are $10 each (plus a $2.10 per ticket fee).

If you have any questions about ticket purchasing, please email mccarthydramaclub@gmail.com.

Students at Byam Elementary School played the unplugged coding game Rosie's Runtime this week. Students worked in groups together to code Rosie to pick up the bones. When finished, students came to the rug to see if their program ran successfully (with the teacher being Rosie). If they had a bug in their program, the team had to go back to their table to debug their program. They had a lot of fun!

Fourth grade students at Center Elementary School enjoyed a virtual visit with NYT best selling children's author Dan Gutman. Gutman met with the students to discuss how he became a children's author, tips and tricks on writing stories and shared insider information on some of his 190+ books. The students had thoughtful questions in the Q+A session where Gutman was very personable and interactive. He read a chapter from his not-yet published book and shared a secret about a soon-to-be released movie made about a popular book series of his.

Mrs. Brown's art class at Byam Elementary School recently created some colorful snowy owls using tempera cakes, liquid tempera and india ink. The kids were very proud of their work, and have learned several different painting and application techniques throughout the process.

*Click the image above to view The Voice*

Mark your calendars for Thursday, Jan. 23, at 6:30 p.m. in the CHS Performing Arts Center. Courtesy of the Council of Chelmsford Schools, all parents/guardians are invited to come hear from Katie Greer, Digital Health & Safety Expert.

This is a FREE 45-minute presentation and seats are not assigned, but please sign-up so we know how many people to expect: https://signup.com/go/uhzMFpr.

Parenting through this digital world can be overwhelming. Greer explores tools and strategies to help our students navigate technology in a safe and productive way.

Greer suggests walking kids through a decision-making process that considers the immediate and long-term impact of everything they do online - the AWESOME and the not-so-awesome.

Some topics covered include:

• Privacy – what does it mean?
• Technology tattoos – the good & the bad
• Gaming online – tips & tricks
• Social media rules & guidelines
• Balance online – how is our mental health impacted?
• Tech permanency – how this can help/hurt
• Sexting
• Cyberbullying
• Being a responsible online consumer

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. Developed by Parker Middle School artist-educator Ashley Norman, this project is perfect for starting or maintaining an art practice throughout the year. Want to share your work? Email your art to normana@chelmsford.k12.ma.us.

Chelmsford High School is seeking guest speakers to discuss their career journey with a group of Innovation Career Pathway students. CHS is looking for guest speakers in the following fields: Information Technology/Computer Science, Business & Finance, Life Science and Engineering/Manufacturing. If you have experience in any of these fields and are interested in sharing your career and career path with high school students, please reach out to Career and College Readiness Facilitator, Alex Cunningham at cunninghamalex@chelmsford.k12.ma.us.

We are excited to announce that Harrington Elementary School PTO has been selected again as a nonprofit partner in the Stop & Shop Community Bag Program. HPTO will receive $1 for each $2.50 reusable Community Bag sold at Stop & Shop Chelmsford during the month of January.

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.

Project 300, which is now entering its fifth decade, is underway at McCarthy Middle School, with food donations being collected through Tuesday, Jan. 21. Each year, students, staff and the greater community come together to donate non-perishable food items to local food banks. Most of the food goes to the Salvation Army in Lowell, but many items go to the Chelmsford Food Pantry, as well. Project 300 began in 1975 with a goal of collecting 300 non-perishable food items to donate to help feed veterans and those less fortunate.

Continue reading about this amazing initiative on our website.

When they met for the first time in fourth grade, Charlotte Buckley and M.A. (Mariya-Antoaneta) Neykova lived in different towns. Today, they are best friends who have helped each other during difficult times and co-captains of a Chelmsford High girls basketball team which brought an undefeated record (7-0) into Tuesday’s clash with Lawrence.

“They’re the best of buds, and I’m so happy to see both of them having the success that they’re having this year,” said head coach Mike Crowley.

Continue reading about these two outstanding athletes at LowellSun.com.

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 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.

More than 75 colleges and universities sent representatives to Chelmsford High School this fall to meet with students interested in continuing their education at a post-secondary institution. More dates will be added to the College Visit Schedule soon.

Follow the CHS Career and College Readiness Center on Instagram: @chs.careercenter

Here are some 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