CPS Superintendent's Update

Dear CPS Community,

It’s hard to believe that we are already entering the final week of October, and Halloween is less than a week away.

I am pleased to report that Chelmsford Public Schools received overwhelming support at Monday’s Fall Annual Town Meeting. There were two items, in particular, that required votes for funding – outdoor recreational playing surfaces and pedestrian access at McCarthy Middle School and the schematic design phase of a new section of roof at South Row Elementary School. Both articles passed. Thank you to all Town Meeting members, as well as Town Manager Paul Cohen, the Finance Committee, the Select Board and the rest of the Chelmsford community, for continuing to support and invest in our schools.

Next week, two of our schools – Harrington Elementary and Parker Middle School - are hosting Halloween costume events for a good cause. Parker will be holding Costumes for a Cause, with proceeds going to Newhouse Wildlife Rescue, a rehabilitation facility for injured and orphaned wildlife, located right here in Chelmsford. Harrington will be doing Costumes for Kindness, which will promote kindness throughout the school community. We love celebrating Halloween in our schools and anytime we can take a holiday like that and use it to promote kindness and giving, it makes it even better. Plus, it’s always fun seeing the staff and students dressed up!

Please join me in congratulating a few of our CHS sports teams for securing championships this past week. The girls’ volleyball team beat North Andover on Monday to earn the Merrimack Valley Conference title for the first time since 2005. The golf team took home the MVC title yesterday afternoon at Mt. Pleasant Country Club, with junior Jacob Carlson winning a playoff hole to capture the individual championship. And last night, the girls’ soccer team clinched the MVC title with a tie against Methuen. Great job to all these student-athletes and their coaches for all their hard work this season!

And, finally, if you haven’t had enough fun following all the events of last weekend, Chelmsford Rotary, CHS Interact & GIVE Clubs, among others, are sponsoring a children’s Halloween party and parade tomorrow, Saturday, Oct. 26. The event will be held at the Chelmsford Center for the Arts from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and features a magician, face painting, pumpkin decorating and more. Also tomorrow, the Chelmsford Open Space Stewardship is hosting their Pumpkin Armada at Heart Pond from 5 to 8 p.m. Families can bring a carved pumpkin to float on the pond for an eerie, illuminated display on the water.

Have a great weekend, as well as a safe and happy Halloween!

Yours truly,

Jay Lang, Ed.D.

Superintendent of Schools

• Athletics Schedule
• Zero Waste Day: Saturday, Oct. 26, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. McCarthy Middle School, 250 North Road
• Children's Halloween Party & Parade: Saturday, Oct. 26, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Chelmsford Center for the Arts
• Halloween: Thursday, Oct. 31
• Recycle Day: Saturday, Nov. 2, 8 a.m. to 12 p.m., Central Administration Offices, 230 North Road
• CHS LIME Pumpkin Palooza: Sunday, Nov. 3, 2 to 4 p.m., CHS Plateau
• Professional Development Day - No School: Tuesday, Nov. 5
• Election Day: Tuesday, Nov. 5

If you missed the most recent School Committee meeting, watch it 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.

Order the 2025 CHS yearbook 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

Students at South Row Elementary School were greeted with high-fives from members of the Chelmsford Fire Department on Friday, Oct. 18.

Chelmsford High School DECA student leaders attended the 40th Annual Fall State Leadership Conference on Tuesday, Oct. 22. The conference was held at Bentley University and featured presentations from the founder and other top executives from Fetch, the country's most-used consumer rewards app. Students also attended workshops to help them and the rest of our chapter perform better at DECA competitions.

Byam's Kindergarten class enjoyed a movie short during their Friday lunch for earning their dining room reward. All grades are working toward their Dynamite Diners lunch time reward by following their 3R's - being Respectful, Responsible and Ready.

Students in Ms. Remick's 3rd grade class at Center Elementary School were recently rewarded with a Cozy Campout!.

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. Participants are encouraged to explore prompts in their sketchbooks, but the prompts can also inspire free-standing artwork. This month, participants are encouraged to explore and embrace Inktober. See the flyer below for more information.

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.

*Click on the image above to visit the voting website.*

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.

The Chelmsford High girls volleyball team won the MVC Division 1 league championship for the first time since 2005 behind a three-set sweep (25-8, 25-8, 25-10) over North Andover on Monday. Leading the way in the win was Maggie Luke with 30 assists and five aces, while Riley Russell and Tessa McDonald had nine and eight kills, respectively, and Abby Berger finished with two kills and four digs. Briana Cairns also chipped in with eight kills and five digs.

To see the full high school roundup and scores from Monday, visit LowellSun.com.

Harrington Elementary School’s PTO put on an incredible Trunk-Or-Treat event on Saturday, Oct. 19. In addition to going around and seeing all of the extremely creative trunks on display, attendees were able to enjoy food trucks, face painting, crafts, a bake sale, games and more.

See more photos of the event by visiting our website!

When it comes time for graduating seniors to make a decision about where they plan to continue their education once they receive their high school diplomas, the task can be daunting. And with so many other things going on in their lives, these students often aren’t able to visit all the schools they would like to before making that choice. At Chelmsford High School, students have the opportunity to meet with admissions representatives from a plethora of institutions, from Boston University to North Carolina State and the University of Miami to Indiana University. And it’s all done right on campus in the Career and College Readiness Center at CHS.

To read more about the college visit opportunities our students have, please visit our website.

On an inspiring day at the MIT Media Lab, educators from Chelmsford Public Schools gathered for a transformative AI Education Summit on Friday, Oct. 18. This event featured a series of focused workshops tailored to enhance the teaching strategies of elementary, middle and high school teachers, including Bill Silver, the Director of Information, Communication and Technology Services. Participants delved into critical topics such as "AI Tools for Education," where they explored innovative technologies to enrich student learning.

To learn more about this event, please visit 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.

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