CPS Superintendent's Update

Dear CPS Community,

February has started off well with a full month of events occurring at CPS. As busy as it is, it is hard to believe that we are one week away from vacation. The week before a school vacation is always filled with palpable excitement buzzing through the halls. Students eagerly anticipate the break from classes, homework, and early morning routines. Teachers, too, feel the energy, balancing between wrapping up lessons and planning engaging activities to keep restless minds focused, especially with Valentine’s Day falling in the middle of the week adding to the excitement. There is a sense of anticipation in the air, with countdowns on classroom boards and whispered plans for adventures during the time off. Even daily tasks carry a hint of anticipation, as everyone looks forward to the freedom and relaxation that lie just around the corner.

February is also when we welcome our international Teaching Excellence and Achievement (TEA) Fulbright Scholars to CHS. This grant funded program in partnership with UMASS Lowell is a prestigious opportunity for educators and students to enhance their teaching skills and broaden their understanding of other cultures. UMASS Lowell applies annually for a grant through the iREX Fulbright program, also known as the International Research & Exchanges Board Fulbright Program, sponsored by the U.S. government. It provides grants for research, study, and teaching opportunities in various countries around the world. The program aims to promote mutual understanding between people of the United States and other countries through educational and cultural exchange. CHS is hosting 3 of the 20 fellows who are engaging in professional development and collaboration activities with their teacher hosts, as they gain insights into American teaching methods. The program fosters cross-cultural exchange and equips educators with the tools necessary to excel in their classrooms back home. UMASS Lowell's commitment to excellence in education is reflected in its participation in this esteemed Fulbright initiative, and Chelmsford is proud to be a partner with UMASS in this program. All 20 Fulbright Scholars will attend our next school committee meeting on February 27th to observe a town committee meeting and share experiences from their time at the different schools. I hope you can tune in to learn more from the fellows directly.

Tomorrow, February 10th, marks the Lunar New Year otherwise known as the Spring Festival or Chinese New Year. This is one of the most important holidays in China and other Asian communities that starts with a 15-day festival beginning with the new moon and lasting until the following full moon and lantern festival on February 24th. This holiday’s origin began as a time for feasting to honor household and heavenly deities and ancestors. The Chinese zodiac, or Sheng Xiao (生肖), is a repeating 12-year cycle of animal signs and their attributes, based on the lunar calendar. The Lunar New Year marks the transition from one animal to another with 2024 being the Year of the Dragon. I wish all our families celebrating Lunar New Year a wonderful holiday season.

Please enjoy this week’s highlights and the warm weather coming our way this weekend.

Yours truly,

Jay Lang, Ed.D.

Superintendent of Schools

• Athletics Schedule
• Choralfest, 2/10, 2:00 p.m.
• Superbowl Sunday, 2/12, 6:00 p.m. 🏈
• CHS Seal of Biliteracy Testing, 2/12 - 2/13, All Day
• McCarthy & Parker Middle Schools PTO Meeting, 2/12, 5:00 p.m.
• Valentine's Day, 2/14, All Day ❤️
• Campus Bound Webinar - Reducing College Costs, 2/15. 6:30 p.m.
• President's Day, 2/19, All Day
• School Vacation Week, 2/19 -2/23, All Day

Choralfest, the annual singing tradition that encompasses grades 4-12 students at Chelmsford Public Schools, is scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 10, at 2 p.m. in the Carl J. Rondina Performing Arts Center at Chelmsford High School, 200 Richardson Road. Admission is free and open to the public. Celebrating its 13th year, Choralfest will feature performances by high school, middle school and elementary school choral ensembles, as well as a special song performed by all students in grades 4-12. Please visit our website to learn more about this event.

Students at South Row Elementary School took time during the school day on Wednesday, Feb. 7, to join millions of others around the world in observing Global School Play Day. According to the event website, during Global School Play Day, students are given “ample time for free play without the use of screens, structured games or adult direction. The idea is to let children explore their creativity, problem-solving skills, and social interactions in an unstructured and spontaneous environment.” South Row kindergarten teacher Abby Patriquin said she first heard about Global School Play Day through the Littleton Public Schools system and decided to coordinate an effort to bring it to Chelmsford. “I feel like we’ve been pushing away from play and more toward structure,” she said. “Play is kind of getting this bad rep, that it’s a bad thing, when it’s actually beneficial to the brain. It connects synapses, it helps problem solving and executive functioning; it has so many benefits.” Nowadays, Ms. Patriquin said, children are losing that social piece of how to engage in play with others. Please visit our website to learn more about this event and to view the photo gallery.

Please use the following link to watch the webinar replay and access key takeaways about how OCD and tic disorders present in youth, how symptoms can be impairing (or not), how to seek professional help, and best practices for treatment. We hope you'll join us for future webinars, including Breaking generational cycles: Rewriting parenting patterns on March 7th at 12pm ET. You may register for the is webinar here. Missed one of our past webinars? Catch up on our previous webinars - including When and How to Seek Mental Health Support, Five Keys to Parenting Children with ADHD, Raising Healthy Kids in a Digital World, and Addressing School-Related Anxiety and Avoidance.

Please see the following events for Black History Month co-sponsered by the Chelmsford Center for the Arts and the Town of Chelmsford Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion COmmittee.

The CHS School Counseling Department would like to send a friendly reminder to seniors and the families of seniors about the importance of scholarships. Town of Chelmsford Scholarships and the are still available. The deadline is March 15th. For more information, including application deadlines, please refer to the handout provided; it contains all the necessary details to help you navigate the application process smoothly. Remember, scholarships can make a significant difference in your educational journey! Please take advantage of the opportunity to apply, and don't hesitate to reach out to your school counselor for support.

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!

Chelmsford Community Education is seeking a long-term substitute childcare supervisor. To learn more and apply, please see the job posting using the following link.

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