CPS Superintendent's Update

Dear CPS Community,

This was our first official full week of school, and it was another fantastic week! The next few months will be full of events and activities at the schools with open houses and sporting events, and through our PTOs with enrichment activities and events to participate in that will be sure to fill your calendars. There will be school-level communications about these events, so please be on the lookout for upcoming correspondences from your individual schools.

One of the exciting events that I would like to highlight this week is the student exchange visit that is happening at Chelmsford High School. Through our World Language Department and our partnership with Forum by Prometour, we have been able to host 11 students and 2 teachers from the San Estanislao de Kostka school in Malaga, Spain. These students have been experiencing a typical school day and life in America with their CHS student partner as well as attending welcome dinners, sporting events, and trips to local ice cream shops. This has been a wonderful experience for the entire CHS community with our CHS students having a reciprocal visit to Spain with these same students in February. I would like to thank our CHS students and families for hosting these students and their teachers during their visit to our schools. Our Spanish visitors will be leaving next week, and we wish them a safe return home. Stay tuned as we prepare for an additional cultural exchange experience when we welcome our French students from LaRochelle, France in October. For more information about our cultural exchange offerings, please visit the World Languages website.

As we continue through this school year, I would like to bring to your attention the continued partnership with District Management Group (DMGroup) to expand on the strategic planning work we have engaged in as we rebuild normalcy in our schools from the effects of the pandemic. DMGroup provides districts with support and best practices to produce measurable and sustainable improvements to ensure our resources are aligned to our priority areas. Through our strategic planning work last year, we have identified five priority areas for the district that will guide our practices for the next 3-5 years. Please take some time to review the strategic plan and stay tuned for more information as we expand the plan to include specific initiatives and actions steps.

We are still actively looking for a few more staff members to join our team this year. We have staff openings in our school nutrition and student support staff departments. If you have contemplated working part-time while your child(ren) attends school, our school nutrition department is an excellent place to work – part-time positions during school hours are available. We are also looking for staff to work directly with and support our students as paraprofessionals in the classrooms. If you or anyone you know may be interested in employment with the district, please take a look at our current openings.

As a reminder, next Wednesday, September 21st is the first half day for the district. Please see the early release times for your schools, as students will be heading home early that day. If you are available, the Town of Chelmsford’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee will be hosting a Day of Peace this Saturday at 1:00 p.m. on the town commons. All are welcomed to attend! I wish you all a wonderful weekend.

Yours truly,

Jay Lang, Ed.D.

Superintendent of Schools

• View complete athletics schedules here.

• International Day of Peace, 9/17, 1:00 p.m.

• CHS Spanish Exchange Student Departure Breakfast, 9/19, 8:00 a.m.

• School Committee Meeting, 9/20, 6:00 p.m

• Early Release Day, 9/21, HS-10:35 a.m.; MS - 11:10 a.m,; Elem. - 11:45 a.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.

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

• CHS World Languages National Honor Society Induction, 9/22, 6:00 p.m.

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

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

The Chelmsford Public Schools is continuing our partnership with District Management Group (DMGroup) to expand on the strategic planning work we have engaged in as we rebuild normalcy in our schools from the effects of the pandemic. DMGroup provides districts with support and practices to help produce measurable and sustainable improvements to ensure that our resources are aligned with our priority areas. Through our strategic planning work last year, we have identified five priority areas for the district that will guide our practices for the next 3-5 years. Please take some time to review this strategic plan and stay tuned for more information as we expand the plan to include specific initiatives and action steps.

Students who wish to earn college credit in their Dual Enrollment Full Year or Fall Semester classes at CHS must turn in their completed Dual Enrollment Registration Form(s) to the Career Center no later than Friday, September 23. If this is your student's first Dual Enrollment course, they must also complete the MCC Application Form linked here. Forms will be processed and sent to MCC for registration. Bills will be sent directly to families from MCC in October. Please note that Middlesex Community College has increased the fee for all DE courses to $108 PER CREDIT. For questions about Dual Enrollment, please check out the CHS Dual Enrollment Webpage or contact Alex Cunningham, Career and College Readiness Facilitator at cunninghamalex@chelmsford.k12.ma.us.

Chelmsford High School's Prateek Motagi was named as a National Merit Scholarship semifinalist on Wednesday, putting the senior in position to land college grants in the spring of 2023. Montagi, who is from North Chelmsford, is among the over 16,000 students in the U.S., including hundreds from Massachusetts, to earn spots as semifinalists after taking placement tests last spring. These academically talented high school seniors now have an opportunity to continue in the competition for some 7,250 National Merit Scholarships — worth nearly $28 million — that will be offered next spring. To read more about Prateek, please use the following link.

Last week, Gr. 5 students started observing and tracing their own shadows. This activity helps students answer the question, "How and why does my shadow change during the day?" Students had fun exploring and learning together.

For 2022, Chelmsford TeleMedia (CTM) has a new look featuring a new logo and more importantly, a new website. Please see some of the great new changes and wonderful programming CTM has to offer!

Isabelle Cole of Chelmsford, Massachusetts, a social work major and global studies minor at Salve Regina, is one of only 100 students nationwide selected to win a Voyager Scholarship – The Obama Chesky Scholarship for Public Service. Recipients, who apply during their sophomore years, were announced publicly today. The multi-year scholarship program, founded by former President Barack Obama together with the Obama family and Brian Chesky, the CEO of Airbnb, intends to shape the next generation of public service leaders. Winners receive up to $50,000 in “last dollar” financial aid for their junior and senior years of college, a $10,000 stipend, and free Airbnb housing to pursue a summer work-travel experience. To read more about Isabelle, please visit our website.

You are invited to join the Town of Chelmsford Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee for a Day of Peace this Saturday, Sept. 17 from 1 p.m.- 4 p.m. on the Chelmsford Town Common. Enter the Build Bridges for Peace raffle for a chance to win one of the garden bridges on display on the Town Common to support the children of Ukraine. All proceeds will benefit the UNICEF Protect the Children of Ukraine Fund. We look forward to seeing everyone there!

Dr. Christy Whittlesey, in her 13th year as the K-12 Fine and Performing Arts Coordinator at Chelmsford Public Schools, will simultaneously serve as the Publications Coordinator at the Massachusetts Music Educators Association (MMEA), the MMEA announced last week. Dr. Whittlesey will oversee all content and publishing for the MME Journal, a quarterly publication that reaches 13,000 readers including K-12 music educators, college professors, music students both in college and high school as well as many other stakeholders. For more information about Dr. Whittlesey, please visit our website.

International Dot Day, a global celebration of creativity, courage, and collaboration, began when teacher Terry Shay introduced his classroom to Peter H. Reynolds’ book The Dot on September 15, 2009. The Dot is the story of a caring teacher who dares a doubting student to trust in her own abilities by being brave enough to “make her mark”. What begins with a small dot on a piece of paper becomes a breakthrough in confidence and courage, igniting a journey of self-discovery and sharing, which has gone on to inspire countless children and adults around the globe. Each year on International Dot Day – with the help of people just like you – the inspiration continues. What started as a story in the pages of a book is transforming teaching and learning around the world as people of all ages re-discover the power and potential of creativity in all they do. Learn more about International DOT Day by visiting their website.

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!

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