Superintendent's Weekly Updates

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🎉 Scroll to read information and news from the school district, our individual schools, and information from our community partners! 🎉

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• District Updates
• Athletic Department Updates
• Extended Learning Updates
• Early Learning Center Updates
• Berkowitz Elementary School Updates
• Hooks Elementary School Updates
• Kelly Elementary School Updates
• Sokolowski School Updates
• Clark Ave. Middle School Updates
• Wright Middle School Updates
• Chelsea High School Updates
• Chelsea Opportunity Academy Updates
• Chelsea Virtual Learning Academy Updates
• Messages From Our Community Partners

Work initiated five years ago by Chelsea Public Schools and Superintendent Dr. Almi G. Abeyta helped inform the proposed ENOUGH Act, filed by State Senator Sal DiDomenico. This legislation advances a cradle-to-career approach to addressing generational poverty and ensuring youth have every opportunity to grow, succeed, and reach their full potential.

Dr. Abeyta joined Sen. DiDomenico, Harlem Children's Zone (HCZ) Founder and President Geoffrey Canada, HGSE EdRedesign Lab Founding Director Paul Reville and other cross-sector representatives from education, health care and social services yesterday at the State House to provide testimony on the ENOUGH Act, and how the Act's place-based and holistic model inspired by HCZ is one that best serves the Commonwealth as well as the Chelsea community.

Here is a summary of the work in Chelsea that led to this legislation being file:

• The creation of the Chelsea Children's Cabinet in 2021
• Dr. Abeyta’s William Julius Wilson Institute Fellowship in 2024
• A pivotal Harlem Children’s Zone visit in 2025
• Yesterday’s press conference & hearing about the ENOUGH Act

CPS has created a model in Massachusetts about how this place-based and community-driven philosophy can work to create positive outcomes for ALL Youth from cradle to career.

Read more about how the ENOUGH Act can deepen the work happening in Chelsea and the proposed legislation filed by Sen. DiDomenico here:

Congratulations to Chelsea High School student Sara Quintanilla Umana who received a Name, Strength and Story Award! Sara received the award for the support she provides her fellow students, specifically in her AP Statistics class. Her teacher, Jane Abramovich, shared in written testimony about all that Sara does to support her classmates including spending extra time after school to help them with their assignments. Click here to watch last night's School Committee meeting to hear more about Sara!

At last night's School Committee meeting, Chelsea Public Schools recognized members of the Extended Learning Department including three CPS educators who serve as site supervisors across the district as well as three community partners who contribute to all the various programming available to CPS students with Name, Strength and Story awards.

Congratulations to CPS educators and site supervisors Pamela Kessaris, Clair Flores and Dan Camino on these well deserved honors! Pam serves as the site supervisor at Chelsea High School, Clair serves as the site supervisor for CPS middle schools and Dan serves as the site supervisor at the elementary complex.

Three partners, For Kids Only (FKO), Soccer Without Borders and the Museum of Science also received Name, Strength and Story Awards! Thank you to these three groups for all you do in our district to afford students so many amazing opportunities!

Chelsea High School's Bryan Pineda Perez is a member of the New England Revolution's Special Olympics Unified Team!

Bryan was announced as one of 18 players on the roster who will play with the Revolution this summer. Bryan will play in two games against Toronto FC's Unified team, one at Gillette Stadium in July and another in August in Toronto.

He participated in a "Signing Day" event at Gillette Stadium this week where he and his teammates were officially announced as members of the team, received his official Revolution uniform and had a professional "Media Day" photo shoot.

Congratulations to Bryan on this amazing accomplishment! We can't wait to see you on the field with the Revs this summer.

Congratulations to four CVLA students who won the National Baseball Poetry Festival's Youth Poetry Contest!

Justin (10th Grade), Kaylee (10th grade), Nataly (8th Grade), and Nicie (8th Grade) were all selected as winners of the contest, which gathers entries from students in 4th-12th grade across the country. All four students are in CVLA's Creative Writing class, which is co-taught by CVLA teacher Audrey Aka and CVLA’s Artist-in-Residence Roberto Germán, the Co-Founder and Executive Director of Multicultural Classroom. The class is offered to students through funding from La Colaborativa's Youth-Led Cultural Empowerment Mini Grants.

These four students will be recognized tomorrow afternoon at Polar Park where the festival is held. They will read their poems at the festival. Congratulations and best of luck tomorrow in Worcester!

This week, second grade classrooms at the MCB Complex hosted special guest visitors. Second graders have been learning about people who have changed the world. This week classes researched and interviewed local changemakers - people who work to make change in the Chelsea community. We would like to extend our appreciation to the community members who came in to be interviewed!

Bea Cravatta, City of Chelsea Director of Recreation & Cultural Affairs

Alex Delvalle-Montoya, City of Chelsea Community Recreation Manager

Caroline Ellenbird, Comunidades Enraizadas Community Land Trust

Barbara Espinosa Barrera, GreenRoots

Matt Frank, Chelsea Housing Authority & Historical Commission

Judith Garcia, State Representative

Charlie Giuffrida, City of Chelsea Director of Athletic Infrastructure

Jennifer Hassell, Chelsea Chamber of Commerce

Fidel Maltez, Chelsea City Manager

Sarah Neville, Chelsea School Committee

Karina Ramos, Mystic River Watershed Association

Lisa Santagate, Chelsea City Councilor

School Nurse Appreciation Day was this week. Thank you to our School Nurses and Health Professionals in our schools who care for our students. Your support of our students' health and wellbeing makes a meaningful difference in our school communities and ensures our students are prepared to learn every day. Thank you for all that you do!

The City of Chelsea celebrated Public Service Recognition Week by recognizing some of City employees at City Hall and local departments. Assistant Business Manager Diane Gulizia and Chelsea Police School Resource Officers Matt DiNicola and Damien Strait were part of this year's awardees. Thank you to all who serve selflessly.

Join us for Youth Mental Health Day, an afternoon focused on wellness, connection, and community care. Together, we will uplift youth mental health and share resources to support our students and families.

Acompáñenos al Día de la Salud Mental Juvenil, una tarde enfocada en el bienestar, la conexión y el cuidado comunitario. Juntos apoyaremos la salud mental de nuestros jóvenes y compartiremos recursos para estudiantes y familias.

Join us for Chelsea High School’s first-ever Relay For Life on Saturday, May 16 from 4:00–10:00pm at CHS.

Relay For Life is a powerful and inspiring community event where participants come together to celebrate cancer survivors, remember the memories of loved ones lost, and raise funds to fight back in support of cancer research and essential patient services.

The event will feature:

🔹 A community walk around the track

🔹 Student and community member-led activities, performances, and entertainment

🔹 Food, games, and family-friendly fun

🔹 The Survivor Lap, which recognizes those who face cancer

🔹 The Luminaria Ceremony, a moving tribute to loved ones

Learn more and sign up to participate here: relayforlife.org/chsma

Check out next week's games.

Steve Artica-Track & Field

Jennifer Ramirez-Track & Field

Ismail Alagic-Volleyball

Leonardo Perez Frances-Baseball

Juliana Hassell-Softball

Schedule for the 2026 Spring Season

Students in the FKO/CPS STEM Enrichment group have been busy exploring science through fun, hands-on experiments! Students investigated static electricity using balloons and observed how objects reacted to different charges. They also participated in a sink-or-float experiment where they made predictions, tested materials, and discussed their results together. These activities helped students build curiosity, share ideas, and learn through exploration and discovery.

Our lovely Photography Club has been working on a Fixed v. Growth mindset bulletin board display!

This week, the CHS cosmetology club had an amazing opportunity to visit Collectiv Academy in Braintree! During the field trip, students explored a variety of beauty techniques through hands-on experiences, gaining valuable insight into the field while building new skills. We are so grateful to Collectiv Academy for such a welcoming and enriching experience!

Chelsea Public Schools is excited to partner with For Kids Only (FKO) for the 2026 “Adventures Together” Summer Program, an engaging summer experience for students entering grades 1–7.

The program will be hosted at the Mary C. Burke Elementary Complex and will run Monday through Friday from June 29 through August 23, with programming available from 7:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m.

Students will enjoy outdoor adventures, exciting field trips, special on-site events, healthy meals and snacks, and fun daily enrichment activities designed to build unity, connection, and togetherness.

Program tuition is $60 per day or $275 per week. EEC vouchers and DCF referrals are accepted.

To learn more or register, click here or call (978) 740-5437.

First graders celebrated two Ignite Reading Program graduates! Congratulations Ashlan and Ethan, you are super readers!

A heartfelt thank you and appreciation to our Berkowitz staff for everything you do every day to keep our students learning, growing, and safe. Your dedication, care, and commitment make a lasting difference in the lives of our students and families, and we are truly grateful for all that you do. Together We Are Better!

Mrs. Pergola’s first graders were inspired by Jackson Pollock and decided to paint just like him! After learning about Pollock and his famous “drip technique,” students created their own replica of his artwork Number 31 by splattering and dripping paint onto a large canvas. Students explored movement, creativity, and self-expression while working together to create their own collaborative masterpiece.

This week during Teacher Appreciation, families provided breakfast, a surprise snack cart and a luncheon as a token of gratitude for their hard work and dedication with our students. Teachers and Staff truly felt the love and appreciation from our families!

Third Graders are finishing up their Animal Kingdom unit by designing their own animal! They designed an animal to live in a particular habit and need to decide the relevant characteristics, life cycle and adaptations suited for that environment.

Students in Grade 1 had a great time visiting the Chelsea Public Library this week! They learned more about fiction and nonfiction books as they toured the different library rooms and got to choose and read many different books!

Second grade students had important community visitors such as City Manager Fidel Martez visit as part of their community and professions reading/social studies units. Students learned about civil engineering and Chelsea's community priorities, and got to ask questions about pressing topics such as drinking water safety and the status of the Tobin bridge repairs!

Students dressed like teachers and students dressed like teachers and had a day filled with fun swapping roles for the day.

Students and staff continued with the theme of dressing up to bring school spirit by dressing their fanciest.

The Sokolowski School proudly celebrates our amazing teachers for everything they do each day with love, patience, and dedication. Thank you for inspiring, supporting, and caring for our students and families in such meaningful ways. Your hard work and kindness make a lasting difference every single day.

A few 6th & 8th grade Clark Ave students presented school science projects to industry professionals at the One8 Applied Learning Showcase at the Track at New Balance today. Thank you to their teachers, Ben Bracuti and Jamien Jean-Baptiste for working with them afterschool to prepare for the event. A big thank you to our Content Literacy Coach, Jen Winsor, for supporting this whole process!

Teacher Appreciation Week at CAMS was filled with food, fun and random raffles! Teachers won gifts cards to local businesses throughout the week, enjoyed a catered lunch, had an ice cream party sponsored by JP Licks and received beautiful sunflowers to represent gratitude for their hard work. Thank you Clark Avenue teachers, we appreciate you so much!!

At WSTA FA students continue to meet with their 8th grade buddies! Today they were helping them to write their poems & read stories when they were finished.

This week at WSTA was dedicated to showing appreciation for our incredible staff and teachers. Throughout the week, they were celebrated with thoughtful gestures, treats, and lunch from families. We are deeply grateful to our WSTA community for helping recognize the dedication, care, and hard work of our educators each day.

The Chelsea High School Music Department had a very successful day in competition at the Music in the Parks Festival in Agawam, MA last Friday. All performing groups received a rating of “Superior” (the highest possible rating). In addition, the Cantare, under the direction of Dana Sheridan, the Orchestra under the direction of Ali You, and the Concert Band, under the direction of Shannon Chick all received second place trophies in their performance categories. The jazz band and percussion ensemble, both under the direction of Shannon Chick, received first place in their performance categories. Daniel Ralda, trumpet player in the CHS jazz band, was also recognized as the “Overall Jazz Soloist”. In addition to our individual and ensemble awards and achievements, our students received the esteemed Esprit de Corps award. This award is presented to one group from the competition to recognize "students who possess the qualities of highly successful people who are sensitive to the feelings of others and applaud accomplishments no matter if by one’s own school or another school". Friday was a wonderful day to applaud all that our students and directors have achieved together.

This school year, over $30,000 has been donated towards the Coach Larry Notkin '59 Memorial Scholarship, a scholarship that will support CHS graduates for years to come.

Jerry Bowen, pictured below with CHS Principal Alan Beausoleil (left) and Assistant Principal Michael Talbot (right), personally delivered checks to contribute to the scholarship.

To read more about the scholarship and its lasting impact, visit our website here.

And to read more about Notkin's life and legacy, click here to read this piece from the Chelsea Record.

This past week, COA students embarked on their final Outdoor Experience of the 2025-2026 school year. It was a great day in the Blue Hills, enjoying the nice weather and working together to set up tents, prepare lunch, and help each other on the hike. We can't wait to be back outside with everyone in the Fall when we return next year! COA would also like to give a big shoutout to all their teachers for Teacher Appreciation Week

CVLA students had the opportunity to visit North Shore Community College, where middle and high school students toured the campus and gained valuable insight into what college life can look like after high school. Students learned about the many programs NSCC offers, including the only Funeral Service Training Program in the state. They also had the chance to meet nursing students who had just completed an intensive childbirth simulation focused on saving a mother experiencing complications during labor. To wrap up the day, students enjoyed homemade ice cream at Putnam Pantry. Experiences like these help students envision their future goals and explore opportunities.

Our Student Leadership Team also hosted their monthly Student Healing Circle. Thanks to the generous support of a grant from La Colaborativa, this was the second event where we were able to create a welcoming in-person space for students to connect with classmates, build community, and express themselves creatively through art activities. During the Healing Circle, students created thoughtful handmade gifts for their mothers in celebration of Mother's Day.

We would also like to recognize Hon. Matthew J. Machera for his time, dedication, and commitment to supporting our students and community. His sincerity and leadership continue to make a meaningful difference, and we are truly grateful for his partnership.

Lastly, Ms. Maccini and Ms. Velazquez were thrilled to welcome Class of 2025 alumnus Eliel back to CVLA last week. Eliel shared that he is currently writing music, performing, and pursuing his future goal of becoming a plumber. We are always excited to see our alumni continuing to follow their passions and build bright futures.

Our ambassador CHELSEA was so excited to set up the dressing room for PROM 2026!!

In a partnership with the Chelsea Chamber of Commerce, Chelsea Police Department presents "Chelsea's PROMise" to our high school students who are looking for a dress to attend Prom this year!

There are aready some beautifully donated dresses and we are actively accepting donations at our CPD wishing well! We have sizes 0-28! Please peek at the flyer below to sign up for an appointment at the Chelsea Chamber of Commerce. You can make an appointment to check out the dresses or also email Ofc. Nicole McLaughlin at:

NMcLaughlin@chelseama.gov for appointment or donation questions.

Link for Appointments: https://forms.gle/57cZCMZ1PE9QedRC7

Mark your calendars for the Chelsea Research Festival, taking place on Monday, May 18, 2026 at the Chelsea High School Gym!

Community members are invited to attend one of two sessions: 1:30–3:00 p.m. or 4:30–6:00 p.m. Stop by to explore student-led research projects, connect with local organizations, and learn from universities, hospitals and community partners.

This family-friendly event will feature food, games and activities—and is a great opportunity to support Chelsea student presenters and celebrate learning across our community. We hope to see you there!

Learn more and get involved by visiting ChelseaResearchFestival.com or by contacting chelsearesearchfestival@gmail.com.

Check out the Youth & Adult Program Guide online at www.recreation.chelseama.gov