CPS Superintendent's Update

Dear CPS Community,

I hope you all had a wonderful week and are enjoying the cooler weather as we finish up our first full month of school for the year.

This week, we received some fantastic news from the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE). Chelmsford High School was named one of DESE’s Schools of Recognition for 2024. Schools selected for this recognition demonstrate high achievement, significant growth and consistently meeting or exceeding accountability targets. This is the first time one of our schools has earned this achievement. We couldn’t be more proud of our teachers, administrators and support staff at the high school for their dedication and commitment to providing a quality education for our students.

October is National Principal Month, so please join me in applauding the wonderful principals and assistant principals at our schools, as well as the deans at CHS. We are incredibly lucky to have such dedicated and committed administrators in our district. In addition, Oct. 2 is National Custodian Appreciation Day. Our custodial crew is one of the best around. They do a tremendous job making sure every inch of our buildings look immaculate and ready for the staff and students’ arrival each morning. Their efforts often go unnoticed, but they are an integral part of our team, and we will certainly be celebrating them on Wednesday.

If you’re looking for something fun to do with the kids this weekend, there are some terrific community events taking place. The Friends of the Chelmsford Public Library are hosting their book sale, which runs through Sunday. On Saturday, the Chelmsford Health Department is holding its annual Fall Festival, which will feature all sorts of fun activities including a petting zoo and touch-a-truck event. The Town’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee will also be celebrating International Day of Peace on Saturday, so stop by their booth at the Fall Festival if you’re interested in learning more about that.

While I still can’t believe we’re just about to flip the calendar to October, I am definitely looking forward to some of the incredible fall events put on by our elementary school PTOs, including Byam’s Boo Bash, South Row’s Pumpkin Fair and the Trunk or Treats at both Center and Harrington. Make sure to save the dates for those events the weekend of Oct. 19-20, as they are not to be missed!

Yours truly,

Jay Lang, Ed.D.

Superintendent of Schools

• Athletics Schedule
• Friends of the Chelmsford Public Library Book Sale: Sept. 27-29
• Chelmsford Health Department's Fall Festival: Saturday, Sept. 28, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Town Common
• School Committee Meeting: Tuesday, Oct. 1, 6 p.m., Central Administration Office
• Choose Chelmsford Job Fair: Wednesday, Oct. 2, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Chelmsford Town Hall
• Indigenous People's Day Celebration: Saturday, Oct. 12, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Town Common
• Columbus Day: Monday, Oct. 14: No School

The Chelmsford Public School Committee will meet on Tuesday, Oct. 1, 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.

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.

Each year, the schools hold an open house for families to visit and learn more about what students are learning at school. Please mark your calendars with these dates to visit your child(ren)'s schools!

Order the 2025 CHS yearbook before Sept. 29 and save $50; orders can be placed online here or by calling 1-877-767-5217.

Still need a photographer?

CHS is partnering with O’Connor Studios of Tewksbury located at 1348 Main St., Tewksbury, MA, 01876; and Creative By O’Connor of Leominster, located at 98 Adams St., Leominster, MA, 01453. Pricing starts at $30 per session, which includes six studio indoor/outdoor poses. Contact O’Connor Studios.

For more information on the collection of senior portraits and baby/early childhood photos, visit the CHS 2025 Yearbook page.

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

School Committee member and Town of Chelmsford Strategic Planning Committee member Susan Mackinnon met with the McCarthy Student Leadership Team and Principal Dr. Jeff Parks on Friday, Sept. 27, to get student feedback for the town committee.

Students complete the miniPCR Beta-Gal Glow lab, where they measure enzyme reaction rates.

Students calculate the kilograms of carbon stored in local trees as biomass based on the tree species and circumference. These numbers were then used to estimate the amount of carbon dioxide, in kilograms, that the tree needed to absorb from the atmosphere to build this mass. Students were then able to make claims on carbon offsetting programs that involve the planting of trees.

Students use air quality sensors to observe what chemicals and substances are emitted from a car's exhaust at idle versus a running RPM from a variety distances and heights. This data will be used in conjunction with ongoing research centered around air quality and highway proximity.

Harrington Elementary School held its annual Walk-A-Thon on Friday, Sept. 27, with all students in grades K-4 participating, completing circuits around the Chelmsford High School track for 50 minutes. Some students ran while others walked, each striving to finish as many laps as possible in order to raise funds for the annual Harrington School Field Day in June. To view more photos from the event, please visit our website.

Parker Middle School's Drama Club will be holding auditions for “Wizard of Oz–Youth Edition” on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, Oct. 15-17 after school until 4:30 p.m.

Those auditioning are asked to prepare 30-45 seconds of a song that shows off their voice and acting (a song from another musical, a song that feels good to sing or even a song that showcases emotion in facial expressions and physicality).

Before auditioning, students should make sure you are available for not only rehearsals, but also Tech Week (Monday through Thursday, March 10-13, 2:40 to 7 p.m.) and production week (March 17-22)

Sign up to audition here. Join student google classroom for more information or email parkermsdrama@gmail.com with any questions!

The Chelmsford High School Theatre Guild has announced the cast for this year’s musical, “Beauty and the Beast.” Lily Rogers and Hadi Al Dayaa will be playing the lead roles of Belle and the Beast. Gaston will be played by Ben Grant, Adam Pinto will bring life to Lumiere, and Armaan McCarthy will take on the role of Cogsworth. The roles of Maurice and Lefou will be portrayed by Alex Kurth and Aditya Bura. Mrs. Potts will be played by Jocelyn Pica and Chip will be portrayed by Liam O’Neill. And finally, Bella Travers and Mads Meehan will take on the roles of Madame and Babette. Directing “Beauty and the Beast” will be Erica Lundin, a Chelmsford High School graduate who has assisted with choreography during past CHS Theatre Guild performances.

Read more about this upcoming production on our website.

Developed by Parker Middle School artist-educator Ashley Norman, the 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. See the flyer below for more information.

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.

Chelmsford High School was recently named among the state’s Schools of Recognition by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE).

As part of its annual accountability reporting process, DESE identifies a small number of schools from across the Commonwealth to receive the honor. This year there were only 57.

Schools selected for the recognition demonstrate high achievement, significant growth and consistently meeting or exceeding accountability targets.

This is the first time a school in the Chelmsford Public Schools district has been recognized for this achievement.

To read more about this incredible achievement, please visit our website.

Xavier May plans to study athletic training when he graduates next spring from Chelmsford High. Athletic training may be his future, but May is already an accomplished builder. He built himself into one of the top distance runners in the state, finishing 42nd in cross country last fall. In track, he competed at the national stage as part of a 4×800 relay team.

May, who wants to continue as a three-season runner, possibly at a Division 1 college, has built up his teammates as a strong senior captain. He has also built quite the resume outside of sports. Part of the journey to become an Eagle Scout is completing a project and, with the help of 50 others, he built an Olympic scale shot put sector for the CHS track and field program at the McCarthy Middle School.

Continue reading at LowellSun.com.

Keith Stone had never seen anything like it. In his 10th season at the helm of the Chelmsford High golf team, Stone has coached and competed against dozens of talented linksmen. He’s seen low numbers, gutsy performances and timely putts.

But what Jacob Carlson did recently in a match with Tewksbury was new, and it left Stone and Redmen head coach Jim Sullivan speechless. Carlson’s scorecard read 31, a 5-under par masterpiece that featured six birdies, two pars and one bogey in Chelmsford’s 16-4 win.

“I have never had an opponent or one of my players do that,” said Stone.

“It is the lowest nine-hole score in relation to par that coach Stone or I could recall in our many years of coaching in the MVC,” said Sullivan.

Continue reading at LowellSun.com.

A recent guest on Chasing the Facts, hosted by Sam Chase, Superintendent Dr. Jay Lang discusses embarking on his 10th year at CPS, rising enrollment and the Parker Middle School building project. Watch the full episode at the link below.

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 Town of Chelmsford, in conjunction with MassHire Lowell Career Center, is hosting an age-friendly job fair on Wednesday, Oct. 2, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Town Hall.

This job fair is open to everyone, highlighting age-friendly employers for job seekers over 50 years of age. Chelmsford Public Schools will be one of the many local employers at the event.

For more information and to pre-register for the job fair by visiting the MassHire Lowell Career Center website.

More than 75 colleges and universities will be sending representatives to Chelmsford High School this fall to meet with students interested in continuing their education at a post-secondary institution. Please see the College Visit Schedule for more details.

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

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.

Here are just a few 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