Welcome Back McCarthy!

Welcome to the 2025-2026 school year at McCarthy! We had another busy summer managing staff additions, student scheduling, and a few other projects. I am looking forward to having students and staff back in the building next week as we kick-off the school year. The first day for students is Tuesday, August 26th. It will be great to get the school buzzing again!

This newsletter contains important information that will help ensure a positive start to the school year. Thank you in advance for taking the time to check it out! As always, please reach out to me with any questions, concerns, or ideas.

Best wishes for a terrific finish to the summer and I look forward to seeing you soon.

Regards,

Jeff Parks, Principal

School begins for all McCarthy students on Tuesday, August 26, 2025.

ALL STUDENTS WILL REPORT TO THEIR 1st PERIOD CLASS FOLLOWING TUESDAY'S SCHEDULE.

School hours are 8:10 am - 2:30 pm. Student drop off will begin at 8:00 am (additional details below). School will be in session on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday next week. The district will be closed on Friday, August 29th, and will reopen on Tuesday, September 2nd following Labor Day weekend. I have included a link to the CPS calendar for your convenience and planning.

Over the first week, we will all be working to adjust to our "new" schedule while acclimating to the typical hustle of a new school year. Through a series of grade level assemblies and ongoing interactions with our students, we will be sharing our expectations for academic and social success.

Student Drop Off Procedure

The middle school students in grades 5-8 will continue to ride the same buses to and from school. 7th & 8th graders will be dropped off at McCarthy beginning at 8:00am, and the buses will continue to Parker. At dismissal, beginning at 2:30pm, students will board the buses at McCarthy, and then will travel to pick up the 5th & 6th graders at Parker.

Overview:

Morning Drop Off

• Students can be dropped off beginning at 8:00am using the large lot located off of Old Westford Road (near the turf field/skate park). All cars will enter and exit from Old Westford Road. Students will use the walkway and enter the school near the library.

• No vehicles will be allowed to enter through the North Road entrance as the buses will be utilizing the front of the school along with the driveway in front of the Police Station.

• Buses will enter off of North Road and will drop students off in front of the school and will exit onto Old Westford Road.

• Students who walk or ride bikes, etc., can enter through the main entrance. There is a bike rack located on the left side of the school closest to the staff parking area.

Afternoon Dismissal

• At 2:30pm, students being picked up will exit the building and can be picked up in the rear lot off of Old Westford Road (near the turf field/skate park).

• No vehicles will be allowed to enter through the North Road entrance as the buses will be utilizing the front of the school along with the driveway in front of the Police Station.

• All students who ride buses will board the buses in front of the school and along the Police Station side of the building. Buses will depart for Parker using the Old Westford Road exit.

WHEN BUSES ARE READY TO DEPART - PARENT TRAFFIC WILL BE HALTED SO ALL BUSES CAN EXIT. WE WILL HAVE STAFF MEMBERS ASSISTING IN ALL LOCATIONS DURING DISMISSAL.

Students will start with their 1st period class each day. We do not have a traditional Homeroom period. Attendance will be taken during the 1st period. For the purpose of student supply distribution, and other related items, we will use each student’s Tuesday “SEL/WIN” block as the go-to class.

One unique aspect of our schedule are the Enrichment Blocks. The teachers who are running those classes have created courses related to their typical content area, but not a duplicate of their "regular" classes. We are excited to see how these courses continue to evolve to engage and challenge our students.

Moving forward, we will not be able to move students between Enrichment classes. Students will not be able to "drop" performance music or other Enrichment classes due to the lack of space in other courses.

Please review the McCarthy Schedule Overview & Enrichment Information packet for additional information and details on our schedule adjustments for year 3!

If you have driven by McCarthy this summer, you have likely noticed a couple of projects going on!

The front driveway of the school has been expanded and will add approximately 40 parking spaces. These will be for our guests and visitors during the school day (staff will continue to park on the side of the school). The additional parking will also be a tremendous benefit for the folks who utilize our auditorium and other rented spaces during the evenings and weekends. The project was completed and is ready for the school year.

The second major project is an upgrade to the defunct tennis courts next to the police station. The space is undergoing a serious upgrade and will include 2 street hockey courts, 2 basketball courts, and 1 tennis court with a pickleball overlay. I am incredibly excited to have this done and I know our students, staff and community will benefit from the project. For those who remember the "Parker Classic" Street Hockey tourneys....get ready for this spring event I have planned!

If the revamped basketball, tennis, and pickleball courts behind CHS are any indication, this project will be beautiful AND utilized daily!

Grade 7: Thursday, September 9, 2025, 6:00-7:30pm

Grade 8: Tuesday September 18, 2025, 6:00-7:30pm

I have included a document (below) with all CPS Open House dates for your convenience, and

will reach out with additional details regarding McCarthy's event we we get a bit closer.

We are very fortunate to have an incredible group of parent volunteers who work to support the students and staff at McCarthy! The group works alongside Parker parents, and is essentially a joint PTO group supporting the whole middle school experience. I encourage you to come share your ideas, and rest assured, that attending a meeting does not mean you have to take on additional responsibilities.

Our first meeting of the school year will be held on Thursday, October 9th at 6:30PM in the McCarthy Library.

We will be incorporating more virtual meetings this year to make attendance more convenient for all participants. Stay tuned for meeting dates and details - thank you in advance for your support!

This year, we will continue to send a weekly bulletin, which will be emailed from Mrs. Mannion in the main office each Friday. The bulletin will feature a look at the week ahead so that you and your student(s) will be prepared. I will also send additional communications throughout the year which will be more detailed, and will typically feature an inside look at all-things-McCarthy.

I encourage you to follow me on Instagram and Twitter (“X”) @Principal_Parks for ongoing updates and pictures from our school events. I also use these platforms to send quick updates such as buses running late, school cancellations, etc.

I am always open to your ideas and suggestions as we work to maintain positive and productive home-school communication.

Currently, the Federal Breakfast & Lunch program will continue this year with no charge for a CPS students and families.

Lunch:

• The beautiful McCarthy kitchen opened last fall and we are looking forward to a full year in the new space. We also had an extreme make-over last April with updated paint, logos, etc. The cafe looks amazing and I encourage you to check it out during our open house events!

Breakfast:

• We will continue to have 3 separate locations in the building for students to "Grab & Go" with their breakfast as they head to their locker and period 1 class. This will alleviate the congestion in the cafeteria and will help ensure that students make it to their first period class on time and ready to learn.

We strongly encourage families to continue and fill out the online free and reduced meal application for potential transportation, extended day or other reduced tuition possibilities. Please use this link to complete the application and for all-things-CPS Nutrition!

If your child is going to be absent from school, you can either email or call to let us know.

Email: mccarthy_attendance@chelmsford.k12.ma.us

Please Send Email: Prior to 9am on the day of the absence (same as current voicemail option)

Please Include:Child’s name, Grade, Reason for absence

I encourage you to use the email option when reporting an absence, dismissal, etc. Parents are still free to use the phone system to report absences, but you are encouraged to use email for greater office efficiency.

If you prefer, you can certainly call the attendance line prior to 9:00am, at 978-251-5122, choose Option 1.

In order for an absence to be marked as "Excused", families will need to provide medical documentation.

Thank you for your understanding.

Our after school clubs and activities program will get started around mid-October. These are a fantastic way for students to interact with their peers while meeting people with similar interests. I am confident that we will be able to expand our options as we are only focusing on 7th & 8th grade students.

I will send more information once the school year begins and I work with staff to determine what we will run and who will serve as the advisor(s).

Email: parksj@chelmsford.k12.ma.us
Website: https://mccarthy.chelmsfordschools.org/
Location: 250 North Road, Chelmsford, MA, USA
Phone: 978-251-5122
Instagram & X: @Principal_Parks