CPS Superintendent's Update

Dear CPS Community,

October has officially started, and autumn is in full swing. It is time to get into the fall mood as the autumnal equinox has officially started across the United States with much of New England at near peak leaf peeping season. October is also a great month for stargazing and learning more about the different constellations visible in the night’s sky. If you are enjoying a crisp autumn night by a warm fire or an early morning walk, take a gander at the sky and see what you observe!

As we continue through the first quarter of the school year, I would like to take time to address the importance of school attendance as we return without COVID restrictions. The pandemic brought with it many challenges for families and schools, attendance and consistency of instruction was an issue for us due to the varied COVID protocols requiring quarantine for COVID positive individuals and close contacts. Although students and staff are still required to remain home for 5 days if they test positive for COVID, we are continuing to see an uptick in non-COVID related absences. If students are to be successful in school, it is important for them to be present regularly. When students are ill, they should remain home. However, it is imperative that beyond illness students attend school daily and minimize absences to allow our staff to properly educate and support them in their learning.

As a reminder, there is no school on Monday, October 10th in observance of Columbus Day and Indigenous Peoples’ Day. School will resume on Tuesday, October 11th. It looks like we will have some mild weather this long weekend, I hope you are able to enjoy some time outside.

Yours truly,

Jay Lang, Ed.D.

Superintendent of Schools

• View complete athletics schedules here

• No School, 10/10, All Day

• South Row Picture Day, 10/12, All Day

• Byam Picture Day, 10/12, All Day

• College Planning - Merit vs. Needs-Based Aid, 10/12, 6:30 p.m.

• CHIPS Picture Day, 10/13, All Day

• Chelmsford Council of Schools Meeting, 10/13, 6:30 p.m.

• Center Picture Day. 10/14, All Day

• Harrington Picture Day. 10/14, All Day

• French Exchange Student Welcome Dinner, 10/14, 6:30 p.m.

• PSAT Exam, 10/15, 8:00 a.m.

• CHSAA Hall of Fame Dinner, 10/15, 7:00 p.m.

The month of October gets its name from the Latin word octo, meaning “eight” because it was originally the eighth month in the early Roman calendar. The early Roman calendar, thought to have been introduced by Rome’s first king, Romulus (around 753 b.c) was a lunar calendar. This ancient timekeeping system contained these 10 months: Martius, Aprilis, Maius, Iunius, Quintilis, Sextilis, September, October (the eighth month), November, and December. Martius, Maius, Quintilis, and October contained 31 days, while the other months had 30, for a total of 304 days. In winter, the days were not counted for two lunar cycles.

Chelmsford High School will be offering a free session on college planning next Wednesday, October 12th at 6:30 p.m. This virtual session will cover the differences between merit and needs-based aid for students and families planning to attend college. Please use the following link to register in advance to attend this program.

The Chelmsford Friends of Music (CFOM) monthly Bottle and Can Drop-Off will be this Saturday, Oct. 8 at McCarthy Middle School from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.). Drop off Clean MA Redeemable bottles & cans to help raise money for Music programs & scholarships for ALL CPS Schools. Most Carbonated beverage containers are MA redeemable.

(Note: For the safety of our student sorting crews, please separate glass bottles for drop off.)

Thank you for supporting Music in our Schools! For more information about the Chelmsford Friends of Music, visit https://www.cfom.org/

Chelmsford High School’s French National Honor Society and its Spanish National Honor Society inducted 45 new students Thursday, Sept. 22, in a ceremony held at the Carl J. Rondina Performing Arts Center. The French NHS inducted 16 new members while the Spanish NHS welcomed 29. To read about our new French and Spanish inductees, please visit our website.

As a result of a one-day trash audit last March, the Ecology Club at CHS has gone all in on composting food waste from all three lunch periods. In its third week, the effort has made significant progress, but Ecology Club advisor/chemistry teacher Dr. Somi Chowdhury and club members still need to be present at lunch to direct students where to place their waste. Ecology Club's goal is that 100 percent of the students will compost properly by November to eliminate the need for club members to supervise at the bins. To read more about the CHS Ecology Club, please visit our website.

Chelmsford field hockey coach Susan D’Agostino wanted a fresh and unbiased perspective on the first day of tryouts this year. Former Northeastern midfielder Hannah Wein — her new assistant — took on the challenge for D’Agostino without a sliver of prior knowledge about the players. It wasn’t too long before she grew excited about one, either. She pointed out sophomore Jenna Nigro, choosing the one player who just picked up a stick for the first time this summer. She chose the one player who only recently gave up her true love in football, hanging up the pads after spending the last 10 years playing with the boys as a running back/linebacker. Unknowingly, she chose the freshest newbie. To read more about Jenna, please visit our website.

Third graders at Harrington had a visit from Fresh Start Food Gardens to see what we could get out of our raised beds. Lots of happy faces, even in the windy conditions today!

You are invited! Join other VIP guests to solve the mysterious murders at the CCA's art show on October 22. On the menu? Art, murder, appetizers, desserts, cocktails, FUN. Your ticket includes one free drink. 21+ only. $35 in advance, $45 at the door. Buy 10 tickets or more, and get 2 free. Please use the following link to get your tickets today!

CHS Class of 2013, Shayan Sobhian – an American-born actor of Iranian descent making his Company Theatre debut in the Stephen Sondheim musical Sweeney Todd. To read more about Shayan and his many roles, please visit our website.

Byam Elementary School art teacher Amy Brown, a 2001 Chelmsford High School graduate, speaks with Where Are They Now host Heather Linstad (CHS ’85) on Chelmsford Telemedia. Mrs. Brown will accept the 2023 Massachusetts Art Educators Association (MAEA) Elementary Art Educator of the Year award at its annual conference Saturday, Nov. 12 in Worcester.

Chelmsford Public Schools has partnered with Paper to provide unlimited access to trained tutors so every student can ask questions, work through problems, and grow their confidence—at no cost to families.

Paper is an online, on-demand tutoring service that provides students with unlimited, 24/7 academic support. Whether they’re stuck on homework, studying for a test, or need someone to read and make suggestions for their writing, there will always be experts available online to assist students one-on-one in all subject areas and in more than four languages. See Paper FAQs to learn more.

Please use the following link to access the K-12 CPS Family and Student Handbook and CHS Handbook Addendum for the 2022/23 School Year.

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.

The Chelmsford Public Schools utilizes School Spring to advertise job postings and the online application process. To apply for any of our positions, please visit our website.

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