CPS Superintendent's Update

Dear CPS Community,

I hope you had a wonderful transition back from vacation. It is always great to have a little downtime from the hustle and bustle of a school day. Brighter days are ahead with sunsets creeping towards the 8:00 p.m. hour giving us plenty of sunlight for all our extra curricula activities or time to sit outside and soak in the afternoon rays while enjoying a good book. Next week looks promising with temperatures in the 70’s.

Next week will also close out April, and welcome the new month of May. As the saying goes, “April showers bring National Barbecue Month!” That is right, with the warmer weather in May comes outdoor barbecue month. Part of spring clean-up includes preparing the grill to fire up those familiar (and new) recipes to enjoy. While it is only one of the many observances next month, this is one I look forward to from now until next winter. What else is the month of May known for – School Principal Appreciation Day on Wednesday, May 1st. Principal Appreciation Day is celebrated on May 1 annually to recognize the importance of principals, from pre-school to high school, and all the work they do for the betterment of our schools. This day provides an opportunity to say, “thank you” to the educational leaders who look after your children every day and guide the academic and social emotional success for the entire school. You can find more fun facts, folklore, and observances that happen in the month of May on the Farmer’s Almanac website.

It has been a busy week with more to come. Please join me in wishing our Chelmsford High School a cappella group, The Crescendos, “Good Luck” in their competition, as they head to New York this weekend to compete in the International Championship of High School A Cappella (ICHSA) finals. I hope you enjoy this week’s highlights and have a terrific weekend.

Yours truly,

Jay Lang, Ed.D.

Superintendent of Schools

• Athletics Schedule
• CHS Children's Play, 4/26 & 4/27, 6:30 p.m - Matinee: 2:00 p.m.

• Instrument Test Drive, 4/27, 9:00 a.m.

• Chelmsford Public Schools Jazz Night, 5/1, 7:00 p.m.

• SATs, 5/4, 8:00 a.m.

Children entering Grade 5 this year will have a choice about which arts block class they may be interested in participating next fall at Parker Middle School. To assist students and families with this process, the preforming arts department have several videos to introducing fifth grade band, chorus, and orchestra. You are also welcomed to attend the Instrument Test Drive event on Saturday, April 27 from 9:00 a.m.– 11:15 a.m. at Chelmsford High School, 200 Richardson Road to support you and your child in preparing to select an arts block class for next year. Please see the letter from our Pre-K-12 Fine and Performing Arts Department Coordinator, Dr. Whittlesey, for more information.

Video Productions:

INTRO TO BAND

INTRO TO CHORUS

INTRO TO ORCHESTRA

The Crescendos to compete against top teams from across the nation in New York on April 26!

The Crescendos are getting ready to take Manhattan. Following a first-place finish at the International Championship of High School A Cappella (ICHSA) Northeast Semifinals in March, Chelmsford High School’s all-treble voiced group has advanced to the final round of the competition, which will be held at The Town Hall in New York City on April 26. Please visit our website to read more about this competion.

Every spring, the Chelmsford High School Theatre Guild puts together a performance tailored to youth audiences; this year, that play is centered around pirates. “It is about the son of a pirate, who is the captain of the ship, and he hopes to follow in his footsteps and also become the captain of the ship,” explained senior Alex Morrell, who wrote the play. “It follows this adventure that the entire crew goes on. It’s very fun. There’s singing, there’s dancing, there’s romance. … I just feel like it’s a super fun show.” “Argh We There Yet?” takes the stage April 25-27 with four performances, including a matinee on Saturday afternoon. “I have a little sister, so I’m really looking forward to her seeing this,” said Mr. Morrell. “She’s 6 years old. … I wanted to write something that she would enjoy and I think she will.” Mr. Morrell said the idea for the play came to him when he was talking to one of his friends about the lack of pirate-themed musicals. Please visit our website to read more about the CHS Children's' Play.

Chris Herren held court once again to a capacity crowd at Chelmsford High School on Tuesday. The Fall River native and former Durfee High basketball star was the special guest speaker at a pair of school assemblies, held inside the Carl J. Rondina Performing Arts Center, focusing on the dangers of drug abuse and addiction. It marked Herren’s second visit to Chelmsford High School, first visiting the school over 10 years ago. “It’s always good coming back,” said Herren, 48. “To be back here a decade later is special. It says so much about the messaging, but it also says so much about my own recovery. That I’m still sober, one day at a time.” Please visit the LowellSun.com to read more about this presentation.

CHS New York City trip for band, chorus, and orchestra students was a smashing success! Over the course of their trip, students were exposed to many valuable experiences, including participating in clinics by an actor currently performing in Hamilton, author and artist Dr. Peter Boonshaft, and other leaders in the fields of instrumental and vocal performance. Students also saw a production of Chicago on Broadway, attended a performance of the New York Philharmonic, and toured world-class performance venues such as Radio City Music Hall, Carnegie Hall, and Lincoln Center. The CHS students represented our community spectacularly, and many strangers and restaurant staff commented on their excellent conduct and manners! Special thanks to CHS music teachers Kate Comeau, Amanda Roeder, and Matt Sexauer for organizing this special opportunity for our young musicians and spending the first leg of their vacation week "on tour!"

Following Town Elections, it is customary for the Chelmsford School Committee to reorganize, selecting a chair, vice-chair and secretary. That process took place at the April 9 School Committee meeting. This year saw the departure of Donna Newcomb, who did not seek re-election, and the addition of Diana Lebeaux, who won the election for Ms. Newcomb’s open seat. Dennis King was the sole nominee for chair, for which he was unanimously elected. Maria Santos was the only nominee for vice chair and was unanimously elected to the role.And Ms. Lebeaux was nominated and unanimously elected secretary. Please visit our website to learn more about Ms. Lebeaux.

Byam Art Night is Thursday, May 9th, 5:00-7:00pm!

Suggested time slots are K-2 5:00-6:00pm, and 3rd-4th 6:00-7:00pm, but please stop by anytime that works for your family. Every single child will have artwork displayed!

• View K-4 Artwork in the halls!
• Glow Gallery in the Art room!
• Complete an Art Scavenger Hunt for a chance to win a gift certificate!
• Check out the Scholastic Book Fair outside!

Chelmsford Community Education has new and exciting programs this summer like Robot Commanders, Riddle Rovers Escape Room, Plant Pioneers, Skyhawks Ultimate Sports, and AI (Artificial Intelligence) Adventures. Attached is a full catalog of all offerings.

Most of our programs are age or grade specific, so verify that your child’s age and grade information is correct before attempting to register. To update any incorrect information on your account, call us at 978-251-5151. To view Chelmsford Community Education’s summer programs, please visit Chelmsford Community Education.

Be sure to follow us on social media to keep up with the latest on all the fun at Chelmsford Community Education. Our Facebook page is “Chelmsford Community Education” and our Instagram page is “CommedWestlands.”

Questions? Contact us at Commed@Chelmsford.k12.ma.us or 978-251-5151. We can’t wait to see you this summer!!

The 2024 Parker Pride Run is scheduled for Sunday, May 19, 2024. Early bird special price $20 ends on April 20th. Registrations need to be submitted by April 20th in order to get an event t-shirt. Price increases to $25 April 21st through Race day. Please see the flyer for more information.

Chelmsford Public Schools held a public information session related to the Parker Middle School Building Project on Thursday, March 28. Superintendent Dr. Jay Lang shared a plethora of information about the project as the district moves into the Massachusetts School Building Authority‘s Eligibility Period on April 1. If you weren’t able to make it, please watch the video below.

Make plans to celebrate the end of the school year: Take the family out to the ballgame! Your kids can join fellow students from both McCarthy and Parker to enjoy watching the Boston Red Sox play the Detroit Tigers on Thursday, May 30th at 7:10pm. Tickets are $40 per person with a portion of the proceeds benefiting both PTOs. Tickets are expected to sell out like last year so act fast to get in on the action! See the directions to get your tickets for this event.

Go to: https://givebutter.com/gMsmi9 to place your order.

Or, use the QR code below on the attached flyer.

Print out our flyer as your reminder!

NOTE: Tickets will be emailed to your MLB app directly in May!

Please see our list of open positions at the Chelmsford Public Schools. We would love for you to join our team.

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
Twitter: @ChelmsfordPS