CPS Superintendent's Update

Dear CPS Community,

We had another terrific week at our schools and are well on our way into the new school year. The schools have been buzzing with excitement again, and students and staff are working hard to establish solid routines and relationships that will carry them throughout the school year. It has been great to see the “getting to know you” activities at the schools and the smiles and laughter in the classrooms. These activities create a much-needed learning environment for the entire district and are setting the stage for a very successful school year.

As we enter the weekend, please keep in mind that Sunday, September 11th marks the 21st anniversary of the 9/11 attack in New York. It has been over two decades since this horrific event occurred that profoundly transformed U.S. public opinion across so many dimensions. While Americans shared a sense of anguish after Sept. 11, the months that followed were also marked by a rare spirit of public unity. The importance of the 9/11 attacks transcended age, gender, geographic and even political differences. Each year, commemorative events are held at all three sites on the anniversary of the attacks. At the annual observance held at the 9/11 Memorial in lower Manhattan, family members of the victims read aloud the names of those killed in the 9/11 attacks and in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing. Please find time this Sunday to keep those affected by the events in your thoughts.

This week’s newsletter features our students learning at the schools, upcoming events, and district news stories. Please take note of the student and family handbook, as well as the CHS handbook addendum links to view our guidelines at our schools. Also, I would like to highlight that the Chelmsford Public Schools has again partnered with Paper, an on-demand tutoring service that provides students in grades 5-12 with unlimited, 24/7 academic support, for the 2022-23 school year. This service is provided at no cost to families and is accessed through your child’s Clever Portal. Our goal is to provide this additional support as students complete the transition back to a traditional school year, free of COVID restrictions, and provide a path towards closing learning gaps caused by the disruption of the pandemic. Please encourage your child(ren) to utilize this free service to seek academic support while learning this year.

It looks like we are in for another beautiful weekend of weather; I hope you can get outside and enjoy it. Please have a wonderful and safe few days.

Yours truly,

Jay Lang, Ed.D.

Superintendent of Schools

• View complete athletics schedules here.

• 9/11 21st Anniversary, 9/11, All Day

• CHS Spanish Exchange Student Visits, 9/12-9/20, All Day

• CHS Tundra Tango!, 9/17, 7:00 p.m.

• Grs. 5 & 6 McCarthy MS & Parker MS - Open Houses, 9/22, 6:00 p.m.

• Grs. 7 & 8 McCarthy MS & Parker MS - Open Houses, 9/29, 6:00 p.m.
  

• Grs. 3 & 4 Elementary Schools- Open Houses, 9/21 5:00 p.m.

• Grs. K-2 Elementary Schools- Open Houses, 9/21 7:00 p.m.

• Chelmsford High School - Open House, 9/28 6:00 p.m.

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.

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.

Each year, the schools hold an open house for families to visit and learn more about what students are learning at school. Please mark your calendars with the following dates below to visit your child(ren) schools!

Callista Ferreira, an 8th-grade student at the McCarthy Middle School participated in the Envision, WorldStrides Junior National Young Leaders Conference (JrNYLC) program in Washington, D.C. this summer. Envision by WorldStrides offers immersive career exploration and leadership development opportunities for students. Students attending the JrNYLC learn to work together as they develop action plans that they can put into practice in their homes and communities, and beyond. Students explore monuments and memorials in our nation's capital and participate in an exclusive Capitol Hill experience, Callista was nominated by her 6th-grade teacher Mrs. Mary Martin to participate in the program. The program is designed to encourage social and political responsibilities among today’s youth. Callista participated in the Envision session from July 9th to the 14th. Her itinerary included visits to the national monuments, White House, and Arlington National Cemetery as well as daily workshops with other students from across the nation.

This week we are welcoming 11 students and 2 teachers from the San Estanislao de Kostka school in Málaga, Spain. They'll be staying with Chelmsford host families and attending school at CHS until September 20th. We are looking forward to this experience and welcoming them to Chelmsford. Our students will travel to their school in Spain during the February vacation of 2023.

An art educator at Chelmsford’s Byam Elementary School, Ms. Brown was named the 2023 MAEA Art Educator of the Year Tuesday. Ms. Brown will be honored Saturday, Nov. 12 at the 2022 MAEA Conference, at which she will also present a seminar titled Fiber Arts in the Elementary Art Room. Having spent 14 years at Framingham’s Hemenway Elementary School (2006-20) and two-plus years at Byam, she has long been active within the MAEA. To read more about this award, please visit our website.

This Saturday, Sept. 10th, 10 am-2 pm

The Chelmsford Friends of Music (CFOM) monthly Bottle & Can Drop-Off will be this Saturday, Sept. 10th at McCarthy Middle School (10 am-2 pm). 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! Find out more about the Chelmsford Friends of Music

HS SENIORS: College Visits

• Mon., 9/12: Merrimack College

• Wed., 9/14: MMA Admissions Office

• Thur., 9/15: Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), Boston University

• Fri, 9/16: Keene State College

Sign up at the CHS Career & College Readiness Center.

2022-23 Career & College Events

FULL SCHEDULE

Chelmsford Community Education has a program for you! View/download our Fall '22 catalog

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