Superintendent's Weekly Updates

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🎉 Scroll to read information and news from the school district, our individual schools, and information from our community partners! 🎉

If you are viewing this as an email and can't see the entire newsletter, click "view entire message" at the bottom or "view in browser" at the top.

• District Updates
• Athletic Department Updates
• Extended Learning Updates
• Early Learning Center Updates
• Berkowitz School Updates
• Sokolowski School Updates
• Browne Middle School Updates
• Wright Middle School Updates
• Chelsea High School Updates
• Messages From Our Community Partners

A recently published second study by researchers at Johns Hopkins University shows that 85% of first grade students in Chelsea Public Schools, as well as 12 other districts in Massachusetts, who reached proficiency maintained grade-level reading a year later without further intervention.

These students, supported by Chelsea educators and the Ignite Reading program, made nearly six months more reading progress than expected, helping CPS secure part of the Commonwealth's $25 million high-dosage tutoring grants.

We are so proud of our students, the work of our educators and school leaders and appreciative of the partnership with Ignite Reading. With their collaborative effort, our students are on track to becoming lifelong readers.

A new intramural sport is coming to Chelsea Public Schools!

Through a new partnership with Harlem Lacrosse, CPS middle school students are getting the opportunity to learn and play the sport of lacrosse this year. Intramural teams are already practicing at the Williams School, with students from the Browne, Clark, and Wright Schools developing new skills like passing, shooting, and cradling the ball.

Beyond athletics, the program also provides mentorship and academic support, helping students build confidence and strengthen pathways to future success. More than 30 students have already joined, with even more expected to participate when outdoor practices and games begin this spring.

We’re excited to see this new opportunity grow for our students! Click here or below to read more.

The Chelsea Family Literacy Committee held an after-school Read Across America Kickoff Event! Families from all four Elementary Schools and the Early Learning Center participated in literacy stations including bookmark making, bilingual read alouds, literacy games, writing activities, making tissue box characters and book buddies to read with at home.

Big shout out to the Chelsea Public Library for joining us and sharing information about the fun upcoming events that will be held at the library and providing families with information on how to sign up for a library card.

There will be three upcoming meetings to participate in the budget development process for the 2026-27 school year:

• FY27 Budget Public Hearing: Thursday, March 12, at 6:30pm. This meeting is in-person at Chelsea City Hall.

Chelsea Public Schools is pleased to announce that its annual District Art Show will take place on Saturday, March 14, and Tuesday, March 17, at the Williams School.

The community is invited to attend two public viewing sessions showcasing paintings, sculptures, designs, and other creative works by the district’s talented student artists. Students, families, staff, and community members are all encouraged to attend.

To accommodate increased interest and attendance, viewing hours have been extended from last year. Saturday’s viewing will be held from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Tuesday’s viewing will take place from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

District Art Show Public Viewings
Saturday, March 14 | 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Williams School Band Room

Tuesday, March 17 | 3:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Williams School Band Room

Registration for Spring Sports begins March 16, 2026.

Girls Winter Track: Lilly Serrano & Thania Simon

Boys Winter Track: Xavier Guzman & Kevin Romero

Girls Basketball: Monica Cespedes-Cruz & Jaliyah Santiago Lozada

Boys Basketball: Geo Brito & Moe Osman

The intramural soccer seasons for 5th and 6th graders has concluded. Seen here, is the team from the CAMS, celebrating after completing the season with the best record. Below them is a picture from the final game of the girls season. The 7th and 8th graders start this week.

BMS our student government is hard at work planning events for our 8th graders! Craft club had a calming crafting session this week!

Students loved learning the dance for "Internet Girl" at our Friday Kpop Dance Workshop. It's such a popular program that we are doing it every week now.

In Art Studio with Ms. Gilmartin, students are showing extreme creativity by using their interests to paint, built, glue, and maché! We're all really looking forward to seeing their final products!v

It's all about the Irish! In Expressive Art Club with Ms. Kenney and Ms. Kay, students are prepping for Boston's "Biggest Holiday" and decorating shamrocks to be displayed around the school. Maybe teachers will get gifted a bit of luck from the students as well!

The Stock Market Team meets the Founder of Rapunzl, the stock market curriculum that is used to teach students across the country how to invest, which helps all participants climb to financial success.

The first graders created a beautiful card to express their thanks to our social worker for all her help and kindness. They put their hearts into making it, decorating it with colorful drawings and kind words that show how much they appreciate her.

ELC K Room 213’s project gift to me for Social Workers Week!! (Sofia Gendreau ELC Social Worker)

Students who met their Typical Growth goal on the Winter i-Ready Diagnostic earned their way to the Green Room last week! These students were recognized for their hard work and the progress they’ve made so far this year.

Students who meet their Stretch Growth goal on the Spring i-Ready Diagnostic will also earn their way to the Green Room as we continue celebrating student growth and achievement.

They learned about traditional Chinese art incorporating dragons as well as the contemporary Chinese multi-media artist Ai WeiWei and watched some of the lion dance celebrations of the Chinese New Year that took place in Boston's Chinatown. Happy Year of the Fire Horse.

Our first edition of the "Hooks Today" news program is out today featuring our 4th Grade students. They had a great time reporting the news, forecasting the weather and interviewing classmates and teachers! Way to go 4th grade!

The Hooks School Dance took place last Friday to a cafeteria filled with students, staff and families celebrating our amazing school community. We enjoyed games, food, lighted beach balls, foam lights and fun for the entire family!

Today we celebrated our Sixth Annual Kelly School Read-In of African American Authors. Students at the Kelly School were excited to welcome guest readers from the Central Office, District leadership and School Committee. Readers highlighted the importance of lifting each other's voices and learning that everyone matters despite our differences. Guests included City Manager Fidel Maltez, Dr. Blake-Canty, State Rep Judith Garcia Waters and many more! Thank you for making this event a success!

Congratulations to the students in our Foundational classes for the excellent work they are doing! We are very proud of their effort and dedication.

Families, thank you for being such an important part of your children’s growth and learning. Your support makes a big difference!

Today we want to recognize and thank our amazing school social worker, Ms. Romero, at Sokolowski School. Your dedication, compassion, and support make a meaningful difference in the lives of our students and families every day. Your smile brightens the day for our students and helps them feel safe and cared for. We are so grateful for everything you do for our school community!

We recognized students' growth and achievement on their iReady and STAR assessments this week with hot chocolate! Students who met their growth goals for Math, Reading, or Spanish or performed on grade level received a ticket to come to a celebration. We honored 340 students for meeting one or more of the criteria! We can't wait to see how they will do on these assessments in June!

Students from WSTA participated in the New Games Committee, where they designed and led a game called “Game of Cones.” The activity focused on building football throwing accuracy while also practicing interception skills. Students worked together to create the game, set it up, and explain the rules to their peers. As the game was played, they gathered feedback and made adjustments to improve it, while also supporting one another and collaborating throughout the activity.

Mrs. Jabir hosted an exciting author visit with author and illustrator George O’Connor, thanks to Wondermore for making the event possible. Known for his graphic novels about Greek gods and goddesses, George led students in a comic workshop where he showed them how to begin creating a comic story. Students used prompts to start developing their own comics, making it a fun and inspiring experience for all.

Last week, families of students in the Jazz Band and Cantare gathered at CHS for a special send-off concert as the students prepared to perform at Disney World!

Families were treated to a performance that showcased the songs that the students will perform in Disney. Senator Sal DiDomenico even stopped by to present the students with t-shirts and items to use during the trip!

This past week in Health class at CHS, we have been exploring global practices of conflict resolution. Students researched and created a poster on four global community practices of conflict resolution: Maori Whanau, South African Ubuntu, Native indigenous Peacekeeping Circles, and Latin American Communitarios Consejos. In addition, students came together as a community through live-action simulations of each community practice. We had some awesome examples of real-life skills put to the test through different scenarios to highlight each cultural practice. Some of our highlighted practices included respectful conversations using the native talking piece, ensuring all voices are heard through the Ubuntu "I am because We are" methods, and restorative justice through Maori Whanau recognition of the harmed and the harmer, and advocacy through community councils. We continue to support our students' growth and development through global cultural competence and real-life skills for a healthy future!

Photos from last week's Black History Month Celebration at Chelsea High School!

A special shoutout to two students who photographed the celebration, and thank you to everyone who attended and all the staff who supported this event.

Chelsea High will be having a Grade 9 registration day for all CPS Middle School Students.

A great opportunity to have the students visit the school, know all CHS programs available, meet the school counselors, and select their electives of interest for the coming school year 2026-2027. At the same time there will be Family info sessions through the morning and afternoon.

Students are invited to attend the Self-Care Fair 2026 at Chelsea High School, a special event celebrating the resilience and well-being of CHS students. This free event offers CHS students an opportunity to unwind, build connections, and celebrate the importance of caring for their mental health and well-being.

The fair will take place on Thursday, March 26 from 2:30–4:00 p.m. in the cafeteria and will feature a variety of activities designed to help students relax, connect, and practice self-care. Participants can enjoy music, snacks, arts and crafts, fun games, giveaways, and wellness resources, along with a raffle and prizes.

This week, COA celebrated Social Worker Appreciation Week! Karissa, we are truly so grateful that you are the COA social worker. Your contributions to our community are invaluable and you’ve become such a crucial part of who we are and how we support our students. We hope you feel appreciated because you truly are! With love, COA.

Students from Chelsea Public Schools will soon take part in the National Civics Bee, a nationwide competition that encourages middle school students to deepen their understanding of civics and explore how they can make a difference in their communities.

Hosted locally by the Chelsea Chamber of Commerce in partnership with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, the competition will feature Chelsea students in grades 6–8 showcasing their civic knowledge and ideas for improving their communities. Participants will compete for recognition and cash prizes, with awards of $750 for first place, $500 for second place, and $250 for third place.

Community members are invited to attend and support the participating students later this month:

National Civics Bee

Thursday, March 26, 2026 | 5:00–7:00 p.m. | Morris H. Seigal Clark Avenue School

The Chelsea Police Department and Chelsea Fire Department will face off in a Police vs. Fire Charity Basketball Game on Saturday, March 28 at Chelsea High School.

Doors open at 2:00 p.m. and the game begins at 3:00 p.m. Proceeds from the event will support the Family Nurturing Center of Massachusetts and Community Connections Coalition.

Ticket Prices

• General Admission: $20

• Faculty: $10

• Students: $5

Tickets can be purchased at the Chelsea Police Department (19 Park St., Chelsea). Each general admission ticket will also be entered into a 50/50 raffle.

The Chelsea Research Festival will take place on Monday, May 18, 2026, at Chelsea High School, with presentation sessions from 1:30–3:00 p.m. and 4:30–6:00 p.m. Students will have the opportunity to showcase their studies alongside university professors and hospital researchers, with support available to help prepare them for the experience.

All subjects are welcome from history and health to chemistry, statistics, and more.

Learn more and get involved by visiting ChelseaResearchFestival.com or by contacting chelsearesearchfestival@gmail.com.

Boston University Upward Bound Math Science has openings for 9th and 10th grade students.