Center Community Chat #8
October 3, 2025
Dear Center Community,
Thank you for a great week of learning at Center. We appreciate your patience as we tweak the new dismissal procedures!
Today was Ms. Fulreader's official last day before she begins her retirement. We were lucky to have her spend this day with us. We wish her the best of luck!
Dismissal Follow-Up:
Parent Pick-Up Cars:
- Please have numbers displayed & be waiting outside of cars to receive your children
- Make 2 rows of cars, pulling all the way up to the orange cones
- Only come from 3:05-3:25 (otherwise traffic backs up on Billerica Road)
- Help students memorize their number (if they have one)
Walkers:
- Parents can wait outside of door 11 (K door) for their children at 3:18
- Have your number cards to show staff
- Please email your teacher/office when your children will be walking
Attendance & Tardiness:
Many students are arriving after 9:00 AM. School begins at 9:00 AM. If your child arrives after, it will directly impact their learning and class structures. Please plan accordingly & make every effort to have your students here before 9:00 AM. Please read the flyer regarding attendance below.
Center Chirps:
- Please have students to school no later than 9:00 AM
- Please pick up students by no later than 3:25
- Please do not pass cars at arrival or dismissal, it is a safety procedure for our children!
- Our schools are a smoking free environment, thank you for refraining while on school property!
Warm Regards,
Donna & Jenn
Food Service Information
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. We strongly encourage families that feel they are eligible for transportation or extended day reduced tuition to fill out the online free and reduced meal application. The links can be found below. https://cpsnutrition.com/index.php?sid=1478035692058&page=lunchapps
If you do qualify for benefits you most likely will be eligible for SNAP benefits. https://www.mass.gov/snap-benefits-formerly-food-stamps
Some examples of SNAP benefits are discounts on gas, electric utilities and internet services.
Please visit our school nutrition website at https://cpsnutrition.com/index.php?sid=1478035692058 for more information about our program and also a link to the free and reduced lunch application.
I hope that everyone has a safe and healthy school year. In the event that your student has an illness or injury, please send one email to their teacher, the nurse and the main office.
For your convenience, here are the CPS guidelines for returning to school after illness & Injury:
Illness Policy
We recommend that children do not come to school if they appear to be ill. Caregivers are advised to keep students' home if they have a sore throat, severe cold, rash, fever, vomiting and/or diarrhea. Students need to stay home if they have any of the following:
Strep Throat: If strep throat is suspected and the child needs to have either 1) a negative throat culture or 2) been on antibiotics & fever-free for a full 24 hours before returning to school.
A fever over 100: May return to school when he/she is fever-free for a full 24 hours without medication (e.g. Tylenol or Advil).
Vomiting and/or diarrhea: May return to school 24 hours after his/her last vomiting and/or diarrhea episode.
Red or pink itchy eyes with crusty and or green/yellow drainage: May return to school the day after treatment for 24 hours and has no further eye discharge
Head Lice or nits (eggs): The nurse will assess the student for the presence of head lice or nits. If head lice or nits are found, the nurse will contact the parent/guardian and provide education on lice treatment. Based on the discretion of the school nurse, some situations may warrant a dismissal from school.
A rash of unknown cause: May require MD clearance at the discretion of the school nurse.
After a major illness, injury or hospitalization, a doctor's note may be required to return to school. (ie: new cast/crutches/assistive device, and after stitches/surgery/hospital visit).
*Parents/guardians are required to notify the school if your child contracts any contagious diseases (e.g. Chicken Pox, Strep Throat, Whooping Cough, Fifth’s Disease, Conjunctivitis, Scabies, Impetigo, Ringworm or Head Lice, etc.). If a child has been absent due to a communicable disease, a physician’s release may be required before returning to school.
Injury Policy
Please keep students' home after any major injury or surgery (i.e. ER visits, concussions, fractures, sprains, stitches, etc.) until they are checked out by a doctor and cleared to return to school with a doctor's note.
Students who come to school with casts, stitches, slings or splints will not be able to participate in PE or outdoor recess without a doctor's note. Notes should include the type of injury, any limitations or allowance to participate in activities, and state when they may return to full physical activities. If the student requires medical treatment in school after an injury, the note should include this information as well.
*Parent/guardian wishes may not supersede this medical prescription.
A doctor’s note is also required for students to come to school with a cane, crutches, wheelchair or any assistive device. This note needs to indicate if the student can or cannot use the stairs.
**Students who have been on activity restrictions will need another doctor’s note when they have been cleared to return to normal/full activity at school.
All the CPS health policies can be found on the district website:
https://chelmsfordschools.org/departments/health-services/health-policies/
Transportation
Bus Safety:
Parents and caregivers, please support our bus drivers and reinforce expectations for bus safety. Administration has been actively working with NRT and riding buses to reinforce expectations with all students. The link below reviews expectations that are reviewed with all students. Thank you for your continued collaboration.
Permission to Take Pictures
A picture speaks a thousand words as they say, and we love to include these in our weekly updates and on the website through our Twitter feed. Please let email Ms. O’Hearn at ohearnc@chelmsford.k12.ma.us. if you do not want your child’s picture included in these forums.