CPS Superintendent's Update

Dear CPS Community,

We just wrapped up the second week of school at CPS, and it seems everyone is getting back into the swing of things. Staff members have been diligently working with students to establish relationships and create solid routines to set the stage for success this school year. Before you know it, students will be well on their way with activities and learning and celebrating their achievements.

As you know, the beginning of the school year can be very hectic for families, with information, recommendations, and requirements coming fast and furious. Please be on the lookout for important paperwork and notices that are time-sensitive such as health forms, field trip paperwork and upcoming events from the schools. Each school will send weekly newsletters that highlight upcoming activities, along with informational notices. When in doubt about what is needed or when something is supposed to take place, please reach out to your child’s teacher or principal for clarification. Additionally, please take note of our Student/Family Handbook and Chelmsford High School Handbook Addendum to provide additional information about our school policies and procedures.

In the coming weeks, there are several important events happening in all our schools, including picture days and parent-curriculum nights, which I encourage you to attend. These open houses are held in the evening and serve as the perfect opportunity for parents and guardians to learn more about their child’s school, as well as ask questions of building administrators and educators.

Most of our PTOs will be meeting next week to start coordinating their fundraising efforts for the year. Speaking of the PTOs, please make sure to check out their new website, which we launched over the summer. It’s a one-stop shop for information related to PTO meetings, events, scholarships and much more. And if you’re so inclined and have the time, feel free to stop by or virtually participate in one of their meetings to learn more about what they do and opportunities to volunteer.

After-school activities are also starting up, which is always exciting. Our fall athletes are back in action, the CHS Theatre Guild just wrapped up auditions for the upcoming production of “Oklahoma!” (make sure to mark your calendars for Nov. 20-22) and the school calendar is beginning to fill up with all sorts of fun events and activities.

Please take a moment to peruse this newsletter and see all the great things that have been happening around the district over the last week or so, and have a great weekend!

Yours truly,

Jay Lang, Ed.D.

Superintendent of Schools

• Athletics Schedule
• CHIPS PTO Meeting: Monday, Sept. 8, 6:30 p.m., CHIPS
• South Row PTO Meeting: Monday, Sept. 8, 7 p.m., South Row Elementary School
• Grade 7 Parent-Curriculum Night: Tuesday, Sept. 9, 6-7:30 p.m., McCarthy Middle School
• CHS Parent-Curriculum Night: Wednesday, Sept. 10, 6-8:30 p.m., Chelmsford High School
• Harrington PTO Meeting: Wednesday, Sept. 10, 6:30 p.m., Harrington Elementary School
• Byam School Association Meeting: Wednesday, Sept. 10, 7 p.m., Byam Elementary School
• Center School PTO Meeting: Wednesday, Sept. 10, 7 p.m., Center Elementary School
• Chelmsford High School Picture Day: Thursday, Sept. 11
• CHS PTO Meeting: Thursday, Sept. 11, 7 p.m., Chelmsford High School
• Parker Middle School Picture Day: Tuesday, Sept. 16
• Grades K-2 Parent-Curriculum Night: Tuesday, Sept. 16, 5-6:15 p.m., All Elementary Schools
• School Committee Meeting: Tuesday, Sept. 16, 6 p.m., Central Administration Office
• Grade 5 Parent-Curriculum Night: Tuesday, Sept. 16, 6-7:30 p.m., Parker Middle School
• Grades 3-4 Parent-Curriculum Night: Tuesday, Sept. 16, 7-8:15 p.m., All Elementary Schools
• Professional Development Half Day (Early Release): Wednesday, Sept. 17
• Center Elementary School Picture Day: Thursday, Sept. 18
• School Building Committee Meeting: Thursday, Sept. 18, 6 p.m. Central Administration Office
• Grade 8 Parent-Curriculum Night: Thursday, Sept. 18, 6-7:30 p.m., McCarthy Middle School
• CHSPTO Pickleball Social: Saturday, Sept. 20, 9 a.m.-3 p.m., Chelmsford High School Pickleball Courts
  

If you missed the Sept. 2 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.

Each year, the schools hold an open house for families to visit and learn more about what students are learning at school. Please mark your calendars with these dates to visit your child's school!

If you have or know a student who received special education services and has graduated, aged out or received a certificate of attainment in the 2023–24 school year, we want to hear from them!

Visit this link to complete a quick 5-minute survey that helps Chelmsford improve support for future students.

To view more photos from Wednesday's auditions, visit our website.

In Mrs. Marcoux's Byam Elementary School classroom, third and fourth grade students created a vibrant and meaningful bulletin board to kick off their STEM journey for the year! Each student filled in and colored their own lightbulb, which represents their unique ideas, interests and personalities. Inside each lightbulb, students were encouraged to share things about themselves—what they’re curious about, what they enjoy learning, and how they see themselves as future scientists, engineers, technologists or mathematicians.

Chelmsford student Rebecca Gemelli had her artwork selected for the cover of the fall 2025 issue of the Massachusetts Music Educators Journal! You can check it out online here: https://online.fliphtml5.com/mlkuf/zlhu/

The Town of Chelmsford is in the process of working with the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) in order to construct a new school for the community.

The project has been accepted into the feasibility study phase, with the School Building Committee recently bringing LeftField, LLC, on board as the Owners Project Manager (OPM). The committee is currently focused on selecting a designer.

If you're looking for additional information about the ongoing Parker Middle School Building Project, please visit our website to learn more and stay updated:

The most recent Building Committee meeting was held on Thursday, Aug. 21. Watch it here:

All eight of Chelmsford Public Schools' PTOs, as well as the Council of Chelmsford Schools, now have their very own website. It's a one-stop shop to find out information about PTO meetings, events, fundraisers, scholarships and much more.

Sketchbook Spectacular is a FREE art initiative open to artists of all ages in the Chelmsford community and beyond. All mediums are welcome, including drawing, watercolor and collage. Participants are encouraged to explore prompts in their sketchbooks, but the prompts can also inspire free-standing artwork. Developed by Parker Middle School artist-educator Ashley Norman, this project is perfect for starting or maintaining an art practice throughout the year. Want to share your work? Email your art to normana@chelmsford.k12.ma.us.

Many teachers, staff members and administrators at Chelmsford Public Schools likely have vivid memories of where they were and what they witnessed on Sept. 11, 2001, and the subsequent days. Those who are old enough to recall the events also remember what life and the country was like both before and after this historic day.

However, students currently enrolled at CPS do not share that collective conscious of the events, as they were not yet born. As the nation pauses to reflect, we must recognize the importance of the day and provide our students with the tools and resources to understand the causes and consequences of Sept. 11.

To access some 9/11 remembrance resources, please visit our website.

Chelmsford Community Education's Fall 2025 Programming starts on Monday, Sept. 8.

While many classes are already full, there is still limited space in a handful of course starting next week!

For more information or to register, go to ChelmsfordCommunityEd.com or call 978-251-5151.

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.

In a season-opening game of Merrimack Valley Conference rivals, little separated the Chelmsford and Tewksbury girls soccer teams.

But Maryann McDonald made sure host Chelmsford left Simonian Stadium happy Tuesday following a 1-0 victory over the Redmen.

After a scoreless first half, Chelmsford found the back of the net for the lone goal. McDonald scored off a direct kick with 23:06 left in the game and the Lions played superb defense to hold onto the win.

Continue reading Tuesday’s high school roundup at LowellSun.com.

Dozens of 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 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.

Here are some 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!

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