CPS Superintendent's Update

Dear CPS Community,

It certainly has been a wild start to the school year weatherwise, plus we have more to come with Hurricane Lee forecast to hit New England this weekend. Fortunately, the Merrimack Valley is not bearing the brunt of this storm; however, strong winds may affect activities this weekend. Please be on the lookout for updates or changes communicated from event coordinators this weekend.

As we close out the first official full week of school, I want to provide you with information on our school lunch program. This year, Massachusetts is offering school breakfast and lunch at no charge to students. Our school nutrition department has been preparing wonderful breakfast and lunch options each day for our students. Although breakfast and lunch are at no cost to all CPS students, families may be eligible to receive additional benefits such as transportation or extended day reduced tuition assistance. I strongly encourage families that may be eligible for transportation or extended day reduced tuition assistance to complete the online free and reduced meal application. Transportation and extended day tuition assistance may only be applied by completing the form and receiving approval. If you qualify for transportation and extended day reduced tuition assistance from the school district, you most likely are eligible for SNAP benefits. Examples of SNAP benefits are nutrition assistance and discounts on natural gas, electric utilities, and home internet services. Our goal is to ensure our families are accessing all the benefits they are eligible to receive to support the health and well-being of our students. Please reach out to our Director of School Nutrition if you have any questions about these applications.

Now that your family is settling into the school year, please know we are actively looking for a few more staff members to join our Chelmsford team! If you are contemplating a job change or looking to enter the workforce, we have a variety of full and part-time positions during school hours that may interest you. If you or anyone you may know is interested in working in our district, please see our current openings.

As a reminder, next Wednesday, September 20th, is the first early release day of the school year. Please see the early release times for our schools, as students will be heading home early next Wednesday.

Please enjoy this week’s newsletter highlights and stay safe during the passing storm this weekend.

Yours truly,

Jay Lang, Ed.D.

Superintendent of Schools

• Athletics Schedule
• School Committee Meeting, 9/19, 6:00 p.m.
• Parker Middle School Gr. 6 Open House, 9/19, 6:00 p.m.
• Early Release, 9/20, See School Times
• Byam, Center, Harrington, & South Row Schools Grs. K-2 Open House, 9/20 5:00 p.m.
• Byam, Center, Harrington, & South Row Schools Grs. 3 &4 Open House, 9/20 7:00 p.m.
• McCarthy Middle School Gr. 8 Open House, 9/21, 6:00 p.m.

Have you ever wanted to learn about Hurricanes? Check out these 10 facts about hurricanes.

Hurricane Facts

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!

Chelmsford High School has a cashless system for admittance to its regular season home athletic events. To get your tickets, CHS has partnered with GoFan.co, a digital, cashless ticketing app used by more than 10,000 schools, for fast and convenient payments for regular season home games. CHS fans are encouraged to download the GoFan app. For Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association postseason tournaments, the MIAA also utilizes GoFan.co as its own ticketing system. Visit the MIAA Ticket Information page.

Welcome to Chelmsford Community Education! Fall classes are available for all to sign up. To get started please Create an Account with all your household information. The data provided (emergency contacts, medical information, etc.) will help us better serve you. This info will also be automatically placed into your registration forms. When you’re ready to start registering for activities, be sure to review the How to Register for an Activity page. We look forward to seeing you!

As our schools reopen, this is a final reminder that all students riding the school bus must be registered regardless if a fee is required.

Register Now

Please keep in mind the following:

• All riders must be registered online.
• INCOMPLETE REGISTRATION: Anyone who has received an e-mail message regarding an incomplete bus registration and/or has not completed the registration will not receive a bus pass or be on the driver’s passenger roster.
• ALTERNATE ADDRESS: Any student using an alternate address must contact the transportation department immediately. All riders' addresses are automatically reset to the home address each year. Alternate addresses must be for all 5 days of the week.
• FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE: Anyone who has chosen the 'seeking financial assistance' option during registration must apply and be approved for the free and reduced lunch program.

For more information, contact the Transportation Office at 978-251-5100 or by e-mail at brekalisp@chelmsford.k12.ma.us.

Please see the College and Career Event Schedule for CHS students. Follow the CHS Career and College Readiness Center on Instagram: @chs.careercenter

Apply now for free and reduced lunch.

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 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 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