CPS Superintendent's Update

Dear CPS Community,

I hope you all had a great week. It’s hard to believe we’re already on the last day of January with the 100th day of school quickly approaching.

This week, a couple of our elementary schools - South Row and Byam - participated in The Great Kindness Challenge. Students performed a plethora of kind acts all week, not only at school, but also at home and in the community. One of those kind acts saw Byam’s 4th grade PRIDE Ambassadors sing some songs at Sunny Acres Nursing & Rehabilitation Center on Thursday. The students also delivered cards and posters they and their classmates made to the Sunny Acres community. The folks at the nursing home absolutely loved seeing the kids and were incredibly appreciative of the handmade cards.

If you are looking for some last-minute events to attend this weekend, this evening is opening night for McCarthy Middle School Drama Club’s production of “Willy Wonka Jr.” Tickets for tonight’s and tomorrow’s performances are still available. On Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., the Class of 2026 will be hosting a craft fair in the Chelmsford High School cafeterias featuring over 90 local artisans. Please stop by for what promises to be a great event and perhaps find something unique to gift your Valentine this year!

Student registration is open for the 2025-26 school year at Chelmsford Integrated Pre-School with morning and afternoon sessions available. If interested in sending your child to CHIPS, please fill out a pre-registration application here. Please note that priority is given to Chelmsford residents.

Don’t forget that Sunday, February 2, is Groundhog’s Day. The annual event revolves around the folklore that a groundhog predicts the weather. According to tradition, if the groundhog sees its shadow, there will be six more weeks of wintery weather, and if not, spring will arrive early. The most famous celebration of the day occurs in Gobbler’s Knob, Pennsylvania, where Punxsutawney Phil emerges from his burrow to provide his annual weather forecast.

And a quick reminder that next Thursday, February 6, will be a professional development half day, so students will be released early that day.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Yours truly,

Jay Lang, Ed.D.

Superintendent of Schools

• Athletics Schedule
• Willy Wonka, Jr.: Friday, Jan. 31, 7 p.m.; Saturday, Feb. 1, 2 p.m. and 7 p.m., McCarthy Auditorium
• Class of 2026 Craft Fair: Sunday, Feb. 2, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., CHS Cafeterias
• School Committee Meeting: Tuesday, Feb. 4, 6 p.m., Administration Offices
• Professional Development/Early Release Day: Thursday, Feb. 6
• CHS Theatre Guild's 10-Minute Plays: Friday, Feb. 7, and Saturday, Feb. 8, 7 p.m., Chelmsford High School PAC
• Choralfest: Saturday, Feb. 8, 2 p.m., Chelmsford High School PAC

The Chelmsford Public School Committee will meet on Tuesday, Feb. 4, 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.

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.

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.

On Wednesday, the CHSPTO created a movie theater in the high school staff lounge, complete with popcorn and concessions, and invited all staff to a showing of "Jaws." It was a big hit, with teachers stopping in during their lunch or free time to catch a few minutes of the movie.

To view more photos from Thursday's dress rehearsal, please visit our website.

Tim Richard's graphic design students at Chelmsford High have been busy creating artwork for four major projects this past semester. One of the projects was to design an album cover. The second project was to design a concert poster. For the third project, students explored the classifications of logos and viewed mainstream logos. Students then chose a logo to redesign to make it their own original creation. The final project was portraiture where students chose a person that inspires them to illustrate in Adobe Illustrator.

View the full virtual gallery here.

This month’s CHS Studio 1 virtual gallery highlights perspective drawings and acrylic paintings. The perspective unit explored one and two point linear perspective where students practiced both types and then decided on a scene. Students then chose to use colored pencil, watercolors, or markers to add color. For the acrylic painting unit students learned about color theory and how certain color schemes can enhance and create a mood in their painting. Students practiced acrylic painting techniques then chose to do an abstract painting or a figurative painting. Students then applied the techniques they learned into their painting to achieve their final piece.

View the full gallery here.

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.

The Center School PTO is excited to announce the Taste of Chelmsford calendar raffle!

This year’s raffle will run in March, and has amazing prizes offered daily from area restaurants and businesses. Funds raised from the Taste directly support enrichment programs for students at Center.

Tickets are $25 and each ticket can win 31 times in March! All prizes are valued at $100 or more. Only 1,000 tickets will be sold, so get yours now before they sell out!

Purchase your raffle tickets today at: www.tasteofchelmsford.com.

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.

Following the lead from the seniors, Chelmsford High School’s Class of 2026 have been hard at work organizing a craft fair that will take place on Sunday, Feb. 2. The event will feature over 90 artisans and will run from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the cafeteria areas at the high school. Kathy LaFlamme, the junior class co-advisor, said proceeds raised from the craft fair will go toward defraying the costs associated with senior year, including prom and the banquet.

Read more about this weekend's craft fair on our website.

Seven Chelmsford High School student-musicians who took part in the Massachusetts Music Educators Association (MMEA) All-State Auditions at Shrewsbury High School on Saturday, Jan. 25, have been selected for this year's All-State Festival.

Christy Whittlesey, the K-12 Fine and Performing Arts Coordinator for Chelmsford Public Schools, said being accepted into the All-State Festival is a tremendous honor.

“This will be an exciting opportunity for these young musicians as they rehearse with peers from across the state, learn from world-class conductors, and perform at Boston's Symphony Hall on Saturday, March 29,” she said.

Continue reading about these incredible student-musicians on our website.

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.

The cold/flu season is upon us at Chelmsford Public Schools. We want to keep your children and our teachers healthy. Here are some ways we can work together to decrease the spread of illness.

• Use good hand hygiene and wash hands frequently.
• Cover coughs with a tissue or cough into sleeve not your hand.
• Keep your child home when sick (Symptoms such as fever cough, sore throat, bad headache, body aches, or chills)

• Keep your child home with a temperature of 100 degrees or higher. Your child can return to school after their temp is < 100 for 24 hours without any fever reducing medicine AND when your child is able to participate in normal activities.

• Keep your child home from school if they have vomiting and/or diarrhea. Your child can return to school 24 hours after his/her last vomiting and/or diarrhea episode.

Any symptoms that persist or worsen should be evaluated by a primary care physician. Please notify our offices if your student is diagnosed with the flu by their doctor.

In addition to academics, we know students are very busy with sports and activities. Please do not send your student to school sick! This is for your child’s benefit and for the benefit of other students, teammates, and staff.

**** It is not too late to get the Flu Vaccine****

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. To learn more, check out the College Visit Schedule.

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