Dear Center Community,

Whew!!! We made it through a challenging week. As you know, Center was hit hard with a wave of the Norovirus (stomach flu). We anticipate a healthier week in store for students and staff, both due to our mitigating cleaning efforts and the short-lived nature of the virus.

As with other adversities we have faced, the entire Center community joined in to ensure the well-being of students and staff. Thank you to caretakers for adhering to the DPH recommendation to keep students home for 72-hrs, as this helped prevent the spread of the virus, allowing us to keep the school open. Please continue to keep your students at home if they are showing any signs or symptoms of illness.

We have several people to thank for their tireless efforts to address our health and building safety needs this past week. Thank you to Brian Curley, Director of Facility Services, and Mr. Woodman for making sure the building had a deep clean repeatedly. A huge thank you to Nurse Rossman and District Nursing Coordinator, Peggy Gump, for tracking cases, assisting students, communicating with families, and maintaining contact with the Chelmsford and state Boards of Health, and our district physician and administration for guidance.

Thanks also to all staff who jumped in as needed, and were incredibly flexible and creative under the circumstances. The atmosphere at the end of the week was remarkably positive and students remained engaged in meaningful learning. We are ever grateful for the resiliency, and "can do" attitude of our community members.

Staff updates:

Please welcome Pam Thompson, who joins us on Monday as a lunch and recess aide.

Center Chirps:

• The weather is getting quite chilly, please be sure students have jackets, hats, and gloves for recess. We have extra hats and mittens at school for those students who might need them.

Have a good week.

Warm Regards,

Dianna and Donna

If ALL bathrooms are clean and you earn all points in the morning and the afternoon, two pieces will be removed from a board. Once the board is uncovered, a whole school reward will be revealed for all to participate in!

Earn one point in the morning and one point in the afternoon-but a point can only be earned if all bathrooms have:

-Toilets Flushed

-Clean Stalls

-Unlocked Stalls

-Sink Counter Clean

-Paper towels in Trash

Let's work together as a school and show our PRIDE in the bathrooms to earn a whole school reward!

DECEMBER

• Winter Gift Room, December 12 - 16

• Wednesday, December 14: Term 1 Gr 1-4) Grades available online

• Friday, December 16: Chelmsford Pride Spirit Day

• Mon - Fri, December 26 - 30: December recess

JANUARY

• Monday, January 2: No School

• Friday, January 6: Term 1 Gr K - End of marking period

• Tuesday, January 10: Half day (Professional day)

• Thursday, January 12: School Council Meeting 4:00 - 5:00pm

• Friday, January 13: PTO Co-Pres Mtg 9:30 - 10:15 am

• Monday, January 16: No School (MLK day)

• Wednesday, January 18: CSPTO meeting, 7 PM in the library

• Friday, January 20: Chelmsford Pride Spirit Day

• Monday, January 23: Gr 4 - Rob Buyea Author 9-10:10 in Cafe then classrooms

• Monday, January 23: Dining to Donate- The Establishment

• Wednesday, January 25: Term 1 Gr K - Grades available online

WE'RE ON AMAZON SMILE!

Your Amazon shopping can now help support Center School! Here’s how:

1) enroll in Amazon Smile: smile.amazon.com

2) add Center School PTO Inc as your charity: (or find us here!)

3) start your shopping at smile.amazon.com, or shop in the mobile app AFTER you activate AmazonSmile in your settings

Questions? Email us at pto.center@gmail.com

If school is delayed or canceled this winter, a message will be communicated consistently with past practice as follows:

• An e-mail and telephone message will be sent to the primary contact number of each student and staff member in the district. This is a great time to verify your primary contact number in X2, our student/staff database, at which you desire to be contacted is accurate. If no message is received, school is being conducted as usual that day;

• A message will be displayed on the Chelmsford Public Schools webpage notifying the public of the status of school for the day. If no message is displayed, school is being conducted as usual that day;

• A message will be displayed on local television channels 4, 5, 7, and 25. If no message is displayed, school is being conducted as usual that day.

To allow parents and staff a little extra time to plan and prepare for a school closure, whenever possible, I attempt to make an announcement the night before when it is evident from the forecast that school will be impacted. This is not always possible and many times I need to wait until the early morning hours to make a decision for the district. Under these circumstances, I will endeavor to make and announce a decision by 5:30 a.m. on the day school will be impacted.

Email: fulreaderd@chelmsford.k12.ma.us
Website: https://www.chelmsford.k12.ma.us/Domain/9
Location: 84 Billerica Road, Chelmsford, MA, United States
Phone: 978-251-5155
Twitter: @Center_CCS