CPS Superintendent's Update

Dear CPS Community,

I hope you all had a wonderful week and are adapting to the cooler weather.

The School Committee has been working on planning and prioritizing capital projects for the upcoming fiscal year. Right now, we have prioritized $2.8 million in projects that include secure entry vestibules at the remaining schools and stairwell renovations at Chelmsford High, as well as some roof work and boiler/water heater replacements around the district. We will be going before the Town’s capital planning committee next Thursday to present these projects for consideration.

Fifteen of our students at Chelmsford High School attended a special National Merit Recognition breakfast on Thursday morning. Fourteen of those students earned commended status in the National Merit Scholarship Program. And Kevin Fortier has been named a semi-finalist in the program, meaning he represents the top 0.5 percent of the state's senior students and remains in the running to earn a National Merit Scholarship. Congratulations to these students for their hard work and dedication to academics and extracurriculars, and good luck to Kevin as he continues through the process.

Just a couple short weeks out from the official start of the holiday season, several of our schools will, once again, be collecting gift cards and other donations to give a boost to families in our district who may be in financial need. While these resources are available year-round, the most demand is usually seen around the holidays when families wish to purchase gifts for their children. If your family is in need this holiday season, please don’t hesitate to reach out to your child’s school to find out what resources are available to you.

Although we are nearing Thanksgiving break, there’s still plenty going on around the district over the next couple weeks. This Sunday, Nov. 17, Chelmsford High School’s Class of 2025 will be holding a craft fair in the CHS gym from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. If you’re looking for some great gifts for friends and family, this will be a perfect opportunity to cross some items off your holiday shopping list. Performances of the CHS Theatre Guild’s “Beauty and the Beast” will take place Thursday, Nov. 21, through Saturday, Nov. 23. Parent-teacher conferences begin at the elementary and middle schools on Wednesday, Nov. 20, meaning there will be an early release day for those students that day.

Have a great weekend, and make sure to get outside and enjoy the sunshine!

Yours truly,

Jay Lang, Ed.D.

Superintendent of Schools

• Athletics Schedule
• Class of 2025 Craft Fair: Sunday, Nov. 17, 9:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m., Chelmsford High School Gym
• School Committee Meeting: Tuesday, Nov. 19, 6 p.m., Central Administration Offices
• Early Release Day/Parent-Teacher Conferences: Wednesday, Nov. 20, Elementary & Middle Schools ONLY
• CHS Theatre Guild presents "Beauty and the Beast": Nov. 21-23, CHS PAC
• Early Release Day: Wednesday, Nov. 27
• Thanksgiving Break: Nov. 28-29, No School

The Chelmsford Public School Committee will meet on Tuesday, Nov. 19, 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.

And, if you missed the Nov. 12 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.

It's time to purchase your tickets for the upcoming CHS Theatre Guild production of "Beauty and the Beast" at the Carl J. Rondina Performing Arts Center! There will be four performances during the week of Thursday, Nov. 21-Saturday, Nov. 23!

Shows are sure to sell out, so get your tickets now to enjoy this family-friendly musical!

Ticket link: https://our.show/chstheatreguild/bandb

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

Every year on Veterans Day, Chelmsford High’s football program takes a silent walk to Veteran’s Memorial Park to obverse the ceremony honoring local veterans. During this year's ceremony, Dr. Jeff Parks, principal at McCarthy Middle School, was one of many veterans who had their names added to a newly dedicated stone.

Students in PC-6 and PC-8 at Parker Middle School work on area models to multiply multi-digit factors and patterns when multiplying by powers of 10.

Organized by the Fourth Grade Student Council, students at Center Elementary School hosted a successful food drive, collecting food items and personal products for the Chelmsford Food Pantry.
Bob LaPorte, from the Chelmsford Food Pantry, visited with students to share with them what the food pantry does and how the food drive makes a positive difference in the local community.

Chelmsford High students conduct flame tests.

Science National Honor Society students helped out during 8th grade family night on Wednesday, Nov. 13, by answering parent and student questions about the Science department and course programming.

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 image above to register*

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.

During the summer and fall months, lots of activity was happening at Chelmsford Public Schools with numerous capital projects taking shape. At the high school, the entire art wing was renovated, taking what was once open space and turning it into five functional classrooms. In addition to the art rooms, the high school cafeteria was also overhauled, with completion in early October. Outside the building, the tennis and basketball courts at Chelmsford High have been redone and a new pickleball area has been added. Another major project that was completed recently was the addition of a front entry secure vestibule at McCarthy Middle School.

To read more about these projects, please visit our website.

After hosting a very successful craft fair in the spring, Chelmsford High School’s Class of 2025 will be doing it all over again this weekend. Seniors and their advisors have organized a pre-holiday craft fair that will take place this Sunday, Nov. 17, from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. in the high school gymnasium and feature over 100 vendors and artisans. Booths will include jewelry, woodwork, plush items, quilts, hand-poured candles, original art and photography, holiday gifts, designer bags, woodwork, food and much more. In addition to the opportunity to shop for holiday gifts, there will also be a gift-wrapping station, a 50/50 raffle, and vendor raffle baskets with some incredibly nice items. General entry for the craft fair is $3 for adults; admission for children and senior citizens is free.

Learn more about the craft fair by visiting our website.

When the final whistle blew, and his 45-year coaching career was over, there were no celebrations. Chris Scanlon didn’t shed any tears, and he wasn’t jumping up and down, either. After the state tournament loss to Somerville on Monday, he kept his emotions intact. He was just appreciative of the time he spent in Winchester and Chelmsford, more so than his accolades which take up in length a few soccer fields.

“I loved every second of it, but also hated it, too,” he said with a smile. “I was much more successful as a girls’ coach, but I really like coaching boys.”

Scanlon was the first girls coach at Winchester High, spending 38 years before coming to Chelmsford five years ago.

Continue reading 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.

Wednesday, December 4, 7-8 p.m.

Kids and teens often feel immense pressure to perform well - be it socially, academically, or in extracurricular activities. Because of these pressures - many youth grow up tying their self-worth to their social status, accomplishments, or accolades, which can have negative impacts on their mental health.
Join Cartwheel and Katie Steele, LMFT for a webinar which looks at achievement culture and the impacts this has on the mental health of our kids and teens - including higher rates of perfectionism, anxiety, and depression. Learn what to do (and not to do) as a parent or caregiver to support your children and help them build a sense of confidence, resilience, and self-worth that is not tied to their achievements.

Register here

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

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