CPS Superintendent's Update

Dear CPS Community,

I hope you all had a fantastic week and have been enjoying all the fall things.

Next week, Oct. 14-18, is National School Lunch Week, which is held each year to promote and celebrate the benefits of healthy school meals. The Chelmsford Public Schools Food & Nutrition Services team is spectacular. Every day, they make sure our students are receiving well-balanced meals, both at breakfast and lunch time. These meals are healthier than ever, with more nutritious foods that help provide the energy our students need to sustain them through the school day.

Speaking of school lunch, make sure to check out the images in this newsletter (and link to a full gallery of photos) from the Chelmsford High School kitchen and cafeteria, which was recently renovated. Our Director of Nutrition Services, Nancy Antolini, and her crew have worked hard to get everything up and running following construction and are serving up some exciting and delicious meal options like rice and noodle bowls, a macaroni and cheese bar and made-to-order salads.

This Saturday, Chelmsford’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee is holding an Indigenous Peoples’ Day celebration on the Town Common from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. There will be dances performed by the Greater Lowell Indian Cultural Association, as well as a keynote address from Chief Tom Eagle Rising Libby. The event coincides with the Market on the Common, so bring the whole family and enjoy the day!

Also quickly approaching is the annual Zero Waste Recycle Day, which will take place on Saturday, Oct. 26, at McCarthy Middle School, 250 North Road. If you have any usable household items you no longer want or need, this is a perfect opportunity to discard them so they don’t end up in the waste stream. During this free “one-stop drop” event, you have the ability to donate items to multiple non-profits at the same time and same place. The Paper Shredding event (for Chelmsford residents only) will also be incorporated into Zero Waste Recycle Day.

Just a reminder that there is no school on Monday in recognition of Columbus Day/Indigenous Peoples’ Day, so get out, enjoy the cool weather and have a relaxing long weekend!

Yours truly,

Jay Lang, Ed.D.

Superintendent of Schools

• Athletics Schedule
• Indigenous People's Day Celebration: Saturday, Oct. 12, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Town Common
• Columbus Day: Monday, Oct. 14: No School
• School Committee Meeting: Tuesday, Oct. 15, 6 p.m., Central Administration Office
• Pumpkin Fair: Saturday, Oct. 19, 11 a.m., South Row Elementary School
• Trunk-Or-Treat: Saturday, Oct. 19, 1 p.m., Center Elementary School
• Trunk-Or-Treat: Saturday, Oct. 19, 4 p.m., Harrington Elementary School
• Boo Bash: Sunday, Oct. 20, 1 p.m., Byam Elementary School
• Professional Development/Early Release Day: Thursday, Oct. 24
• Children's Halloween Party & Parade: Saturday, Oct. 26, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Chelmsford Center for the Arts

The Chelmsford Public School Committee will meet on Tuesday, Oct. 15, 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.

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

Center Elementary School's PTO hosted an ice cream social on Thursday, Oct. 10 ...

... and kindergarteners from Center ventured out for some fall fun at the farm!

To see more photos from lunch service on Thursday, Oct. 10, please visit our website.

Chelmsford High School students learn to repair Chromebooks hands-on in the Technology Troubleshoot and Repair course with teacher Mr. O'Sullivan.

Kindergarten students kick off their Trees and Weather unit by documenting the tree in front of Byam Elementary School.

Members of the Chelmsford High School Eco Club collect and test soil samples to determine where tree planting will occur.

The inaugural meeting of Chelmsford High School's Chemical Sciences Association Club was held on Oct. 3.

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. 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.

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.

Two weeks ago, students at Chelmsford’s Harrington Elementary School participated in the inaugural school-wide walk-a-thon to raise money for their field day in June. One grade level at a time took to the track outside Chelmsford High School, with each student completing as many laps as possible in order to fulfill pledges from relatives, family friends and neighbors. And the results were tremendous, with the Harrington school community raising over $5,700.

To read more about Harrington's successful walk-a-thon, 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