Dear Center Community,

We have a big week of recognitions coming up. Please see below. Also note, that Tuesday is an early release day for all students. Students will be released at 11:45. Please let your child's teacher know if this will result in any change to their dismissal plans.

Celebrating Our Incredible Paraeducators – Wednesday, April 2nd

On Wednesday, April 2nd, we take a moment to recognize and appreciate the hard work and dedication of our amazing paraeducators. They provide invaluable support to our students, forming strong, trusting relationships that help children thrive. Often the first warm smile that greets students in the morning, our paraeducators work tirelessly to support them academically, behaviorally, and socially throughout the day. Their impact is immeasurable, and we simply couldn’t do it without them.

Please join us in thanking our paraeducators for all they do to make our school community a better place!

World Autism Acceptance Day - Wednesday, April 2nd

In addition to teaching academics we support our students to recognize, appreciate and celebrate our similarities and differences. Tuesday, students and staff are encouraged to wear red for Autism Acceptance Day. This is a shift from the focus on previous years when we wore blue for awareness to acceptance and advocating for the unique perspectives and strengths of autistic individuals. The #RedInstead movement aims to move beyond simply raising awareness about autism and instead, focus on promoting acceptance, inclusivity, and celebrating autistic strengths.

About 1 in 36 children has been identified with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) according to estimates from CDC. Students with autism may have difficulties with social interactions, verbal or non-verbal communication or exhibit repetitive behaviors. To quote Dr. Shore, "If you have met one person with autism, you have met one person with autism." Every individual diagnosed with autism is unique. If you are looking for a way to explain autism to your child(ren) please check out the video below.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED for Recycle Day!

On SATURDAY, May 3rd (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/zqQkuPF

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

We appreciate your support!!

Enjoy the weekend.

Warm Regards,

Dianna and Donna

Sending a big thank you to Eamonn the librarian! Eamonn was an expert at checking in and out and shelving books, helping students and working on a new bulletin board. He especially liked being the librarian in his cousin's class! Thanks again Eamonn! 🙂

Lowell Humane Society Fundraiser:

The Student Council is helping collect items for animals at The Lowell Humane Society. The deadline for donations is April 11th, 2025.The Lowell Humane Society is looking for specific items such as:

-Six foot leashes

-Durable dog toys

-Kongs

-Unopened dry and canned dog/cat food

-Unopened cat litter

-Cat toys

-Rabbit, rat, hamster, and ferret food

Thank you for sticking to the suggested donated items!

As we welcome Spring and warmer weather, this is a friendly reminder to check your child regularly for ticks and be on the lookout for symptoms of head lice.

Prevention of tick-born illness begins with you!

1. The single most important thing you can do is check for ticks once a day. Favorite places ticks like to go on your body include areas between the toes, back of the knees, groin, armpits, and neck, along the hairline, and behind the ears. Remove any attached tick as soon as possible and call your doctor if you have concerns about tick-born illness.

2. Use repellents that contain DEET on your exposed skin, and those that contain permethrin on your clothes.

3. Stick to main pathways and the center of trails when hiking to avoid ticks.

4. Wear long-sleeved, light colored shirts and long pants tucked into your socks. This may be difficult to do when the weather is hot, but it will help keep ticks away from your skin and make it easier to spot a tick on your clothing.

NOTE: There is currently no human vaccine available to protect against Lyme disease or any other tick-borne disease found in Massachusetts.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4vpi1L3nIY

Tick Check!

⭐ TAKE THE #TICKCHECKCHALLENGE: bit.ly/3gC4n3n ⭐ The #TickCheckChallenge is an interactive challenge created to help educate and protect kids (and adults!) from Lyme Disease and other debilitating tick-borne diseases. Only 1 in 10 kids performs a tick check after spending time outside. We want that to change. Made especially for kids, our ...

www.youtube.com

Head lice can happen to anyone.

• It is not a sign of poor hygiene habits or of being dirty. Even though they do not jump or fly, lice can spread from one person to another by sharing personal items and by being in close contact with a person who has live lice.

• Unfortunately, there is no proven head lice deterrent that will prevent your child from getting head lice. The best you can do is stay alert for suspicious head scratching. Itching is an allergic reaction to chemicals in a head louse’s saliva. Not all kids will experience itching right away but catching this behavior early and treating it will help you stop a head lice problem at its roots.

• If you should discover a case of head lice, please call your pediatrician for treatment recommendations, notify the health office, as well as the parents of your child’s close contacts. This is the best way to protect your family and community.

Rose Remmetter Felzani, MSN, RN

Center School Nurse

April

• TBD- Square One Art - PTO

• Tuesday, April 1: Half day/Professional day

• Wednesday, April 2:World Autism Day, #wearredinstead to show your support.

• Wednesday, April 2: Paraeducator Appreciation Day

• Monday, April 4: Be Kind Spirit Wear day

• Monday, April 7: 3rd Gr MCAS

• Tuesday, April 8: 3rd GR MCAS

• Tuesday, April 8: 4th Gr Digital Health & Safety presentation at CHS, 9:30

• Wednesday, April 9:4th GR MCAS

• Wednesday, April 9: Assistant Principal Appreciation Day

• Thursday, April 10: 4th GR MCAS

• Wednesday, April 16: Restorative Practices Presentation Zoom at 6:30

• Friday, April 11: Chelmsford Spirit Day

• April 18 - 25: April Recess

• Monday, April 22: Earth Day

• Monday, April 22: School Bus Drivers Appreciation Day

• Wednesday, April 30: Ziti Supper

This year, students across the Commonwealth will be taking The Next- Generation MCAS for our annual standardized state testing. All students in Chelmsford will be taking the computer-based assessment using Chromebooks. Please mark your calendars for the important dates below. We strongly encourage all students to be present and on time these days. If your child is sick, we will have make-up sessions so that they are able to take the assessments when they are able to show their personal best work.

Chelmsford is fortunate to have access to iReady to support student learning. Students have access to this learning tool at home. Please reach out to your teacher if you have difficulty logging on. There is much research to support enhanced student achievement on MCAS when using this valuable tool. Please press here for more information.

ELA MCAS TESTING:

Grade 3

Monday, April 7th, 3rd Grade – Session 1

Tuesday, April 8th, 3rd Grade– Session 2

Grade 4:

Wednesday, April 9th, 4th Grade – Session 1

Thursday April 10th, 4th Grade– Session 2

Math MCAS TESTING:

Grade 4:

Monday May 12th, 4th Grade– Session 1

Tuesday May 13th, 4th Grade– Session 2

Grade 3:

Wednesday May 14th , 3rd Grade – Session 1

Thursday May 15th, 3rd Grade – Session 2

Links:

http://i-readycentral.com/familycenter/

https://www.curriculumassociates.com/research-and-efficacy